TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State begins its final weekend homestand Thursday night when the Sycamores entertain UIC for a 7 p.m. tip inside Hulman Center. Thursday's game is the Sycamores' Pink Game for Breast Cancer Awareness.
 
Thursday's game will be aired on ESPN+, with Chris Machado (play-by-play) and Nyah Wilson (analyst) on the call. John Sherman will also have the radio call on WVIG-FM/105.5 The Legend.
 
Last Time Out
Jayci Allen registered her first double-double in an Indiana State uniform Saturday afternoon, but the Sycamores couldn't overcome three quarters of poor shooting in an 88-70 loss to Drake inside the Knapp Center.
 
Allen finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds, both of which were her most in Valley play this season. Tierney Kelsey and Amerie Flowers also finished in double-figures with 13 and 12, respectively, with Flowers also adding eight rebounds
 
Indiana State struggled in nearly every aspect in the first half, with the Sycamores shooting just 20 percent in the opening 20 minutes and trailing by double-digits at the break. The game got heated in the third with two flagrant fouls and two technical fouls, along with a fan ejected, with the Sycamores still struggling and trailing by as many as 29. Indiana State finally showed signs of life in the fourth with Allen and Kayla Smith combining for 16 in a 29-point frame for the Trees, but the Sycamores' woes in the first 30 minutes were too much to overcome.
 
One Final Ride
Indiana State begins its final weekend homestand of the season with Thursday's game against UIC, with Saturday's contest against Southern Illinois being the final weekend home game for the Sycamores this season.
 
Prior to the start of Saturday's game against Southern Illinois, the Sycamores will recognize their six-athlete senior class, consisting of Amaya Blake, Samiyah Briggs, Kennedy Claybrooks, Kayla Smith, Ruth Sodipe and Da'Naria Washington.
 
The Sycamores have one home weekday home game following the current two-game homestand, with the Trees facing Northern Iowa March 5 to close the regular season in Hulman Center. Indiana State's five home wins are the program's most since the 2022-23 season.
 
Closing Strong
Indiana State's first three quarters in its last game at Drake were less than ideal, but the Sycamores closed their time in Iowa on a high note. The Trees outscored Drake 29-20 in the fourth quarter after mustering just 41 points across the first three quarters.
 
The Blue and White shot 50 percent from the floor in the final frame (11-for-22) against the Bulldogs, while knocking down four of their seven 3-point attempts in the period.
 
Indiana State's 29-point fourth quarter in Saturday's game was the highest-scoring period for the Sycamores since putting up 32 in the third quarter of their New Year's Day win over Valparaiso. The Sycamores have had a quarter with 25-plus points in each of their last two games, having also produced a 28-point second quarter at Northern Iowa.
 
Double Trouble
Indiana State redshirt junior guard/forward Jayci Allen recorded her first double-double in a Sycamore uniform in Saturday's game at Drake, finishing with 17 points and 10 rebounds against the Bulldogs.
 
Allen's 17 points, 10 rebounds and six field goals were her most in a conference game this season, with the Richmond, Indiana, native also knocking down three treys for the second straight game.
 
Allen became the fourth different Sycamore to record a double-double this season, joining Clemisha Prackett (seven times), Amerie Flowers (twice) and Kennedy Claybrooks (once). Allen is one of seven Sycamores to lead the team in scoring in a game this season, and one of six to lead the Blue and White in rebounding in a game.
 
Back In Business
Indiana State sophomore guard Tierney Kelsey made an emphatic return to the starting rotation in Thursday's game at Northern Iowa, finishing with career-high marks of 27 points, six rebounds and five 3-pointers against the Panthers.
 
Kelsey's 27 points were tied for the most in a game by a Sycamore this season (Amerie Flowers - 27 vs. Murray State), and also marked her team-leading fifth 20-point outing of the season. The Memphis native is responsible for half of Indiana State's 20-point games during the 2025-26 season.
 
Kelsey's five 3-pointers were also the most by a Sycamore in a game this season, with the last Indiana State player to knock down five threes in a game being Keslyn Secrist at Drake on Feb. 27, 2025. Indiana State's 10 3-pointers as a team were also the most by the Blue and White in a conference game this season, with the Sycamores last reaching that mark with 11 in the aforementioned game at Drake last season.
 
Kelsey enters the week as the top scorer in the MVC among players who have started less than half of their team's games this season. The Memphis native is averaging 14.2 points per contest despite starting just 12 of Indiana State's 25 games this season.
 
Knockdown
Indiana State has struggled from 3-point range in recent weeks, but the Sycamores found their touch from distance in their recent game at Northern Iowa, connecting on 37 percent of their attempts from behind the arc.
 
The Blue and White knocked down 10 treys inside McLeod Center, their most in a conference game this season. It also marked just the third time this season that the Sycamores hit double-digit threes in a game, with the Trees hitting 11 threes against both Western Kentucky and Saint Mary-of-the-Woods.
 
Tierney Kelsey (five) and Jayci Allen (three) were responsible for eight of the Sycamores' 10 treys against Northern Iowa, marking the first time the Trees had multiple players hit three or more 3-pointers since Nov. 14, 2025 at Western Kentucky. Allen, Samiyah Briggs and Kennedy Claybrooks all hit three treys in the Sycamores' win over the Lady Toppers.
 
Indiana State's last four conference games with 10 or more threes have all come on the road (10 at Northern Iowa during 2023-24 season, 15 at Southern Illinois during 2024-25 season, 11 at Drake during 2024-25 season, 10 at Northern Iowa during 2025-26 season). Three of those four instances have come in the state at Iowa (two at Northern Iowa, one at Drake).
 
On This Date
Indiana State owns a 4-9 record in games played on this date, including a 2-4 record in road games played on February 14.
 
The Sycamores have previously played UIC once on this date, falling 56-50 in Terre Haute in 2023.
 
1972 – Indiana (L, 33-71)
1977 – Illinois State (W, 69-68)
1983 – at Dayton (L, 57-65)
1993 – at Illinois State (L, 50-71)
1998 – at Missouri State (L, 49-63)
2005 – Northern Iowa (W, 75-56)
2006 – at Wichita State (W, 88-85)
2009 – at Evansville (L, 58-65)
2012 – at Creighton (L, 48-63)
2016 – at Bradley (W, 68-59)
2017 – Northern Iowa (L, 59-61 (OT))
2021 – Southern Illinois (L, 69-84)
2023 – UIC (L, 50-56)
 
UIC At A Glance
UIC enters Thursday's game at 11-14 overall and 6-8 in conference play. The Flames have lost two straight, including a nailbiting 79-77 defeat at league-leading Murray State in their last game.
Jessica Carrothers leads the Flames in scoring at 17.9 points per game, while Julia Coleman adds 14.7 points and a team-leading 7.1 rebounds per game. Carrothers has also dished out a team-high 3.8 assists per game, while Coleman leads the team with 2.1 steals and 0.9 blocks per game. TuTu Clayton also contributes 8.8 points and 2.8 assists per game.
 
Ashleen Bracey is in her fourth season at the helm of the UIC program and owns a 63-65 record as head coach of the Flames. Bracey has led UIC to postseason appearances in each of her first three years (two WNIT, one WBI).
 
Series History Against UIC
Indiana State is 24-67 all-time against Drake, with the Sycamores posting a 6-38 mark in Des Moines. Drake has won seven straight in the series
 
The Trees' last win in the series came in Des Moines during the 2021-22 season (78-70).
 
Last Meeting Against Drake (Jan. 4, 2026)
Clemisha Prackett matched her career high of 18 points and also pulled down 13 rebounds for a double-double, but Indiana State struggled on the offensive side in a 70-57 defeat to UIC inside Credit Union 1 Arena.
 
Tierney Kelsey was also in double-figures for the Sycamores with 12 points, while Kennedy Claybrooks and Da'Naria Washington added seven points apiece. Claybrooks also dished out seven assists.
 
Indiana State recovered from a slow start to close the first quarter on a 12-2 run, and the Trees took the lead with a three from Allen and a three-point play from Kelsey midway through the second quarter. The Sycamores led 28-24 following baskets from Kelsey and Amerie Flowers, but UIC closed the second on a 12-2 run to take the lead for good. UIC led by 16 early in the third but the Sycamores didn't go down without a fight. Prackett and Washington combined for 11 in the third to pull the Trees within seven, and early fourth quarter buckets from Kelsey and Samiyah Briggs kept the Sycamores in striking distance. The Trees made just two baskets, a pair of Prackett layups, over the final six minutes on their way to a setback in the Near West Side.
 
Up Next
Indiana State faces Southern Illinois Saturday afternoon for a 2 p.m. tip inside Hulman Center. The Sycamores will recognize their senior class prior to the game.
 
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