TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State closed out its regular season Thursday night, as visiting Northern Iowa defeated the Sycamores 92-73 inside Hulman Center. 
 
Tierney Kelsey led the Sycamores with 18 points, while Kennedy Claybrooks tacked on 13 and Clemisha Prackett produced her fourth double-double in the last five games with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Claybrooks added four assists, while Ruth Sodipe produced her best game of the season with seven points and five rebounds. 
 
The Panthers came out scoring quick opening the game on an 11-0 run, which proved to be too much for the Sycamores to come back from, despite keeping pace with them for the remainder of the game. Northern Iowa doubled up Indiana State 34-17 in the opening frame, and cruised to a win on the road.
 
First Half
Jayci Allen opened the scoring for the Trees with five quick points after the visitors opened the game on an 11-0 run, which included Sycamore head coach Marc Mitchell burning a timeout less than 20 seconds into the game. The Sycamores continued to battle with back-to-back baskets by Prackett, but Northern Iowa closed the quarter on a 20-8 run to lead 34-17 after one. 
 
The Trees and the Panthers traded baskets for the opening minutes of the second quarter. Despite baskets by Kelsey, Claybrooks and Ruth Sodipe, the Sycamores remained down by double-digits. A low-scoring second quarter saw the teams score 15 apiece in the frame, with Northern Iowa taking a 49-32 lead to the intermission.
 
Second Half
The Sycamores went down low throughout the third quarter, with all of Indiana State's production coming in the paint or at the free throw line. Prackett had eight points and seven rebounds in the period, but the Trees never got closer than 16. Despite keeping Northern Iowa in check for the final three minutes of the period, the Sycamores trailed 71-50 with 10 minutes to play.
 
Kelsey scored four of the Sycamores' six points in the opening four minutes of the final quarter, as the teams traded baskets in the front half of the frame. The Sycamores went cold during the middle stages of the period, going nearly four minutes without a basket as Sodipe free throws were the only points for the Blue and White in that stretch. The Sycamores found a spark late with 15 points in the final three-plus minutes, largely thanks to threes from Kelsey and Kayla Smith, but the deficit was too much to overcome in a 92-73 setback. 
 
News and Notes: 

• Ruth Sodipe had a career night, finishing with seven points and five rebounds in 15 minutes of action. The seven points and five boards were both season-high marks, while she also dished out an assist and was 3-for-4 from the charity stripe
• Clemisha Prackett recorded her 11th double-double this season, with four coming in the last five games. 
• With 42 points off the bench, Thursday's game was the third straight in which the Sycamores had 42 bench points and fourth straight game with 40-plus bench points. 
• Indiana State's four blocks were the Sycamores' most since their Feb. 21 win over Southern Illinois.
• Indiana State closed out the regular season with nine wins, more than doubling the Sycamores' 2024-25 win total. The Trees' five conference wins were a three-win improvement from last season.

 
Postgame Press Conference Presented by Team Green Law: Marc Mitchell


Up Next
Indiana State turns its attention to the MVC Tournament, with the Sycamores' seed and first round opponent still to be determined. The Blue and White will play at either 4:30 or 7 p.m. March 12 in the opening round.

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