Indiana State matched its season high of eight 3-pointers Thursday night, but Illinois State rode the momentum of a second-quarter surge to defeat the Sycamores 96-69 inside CEFCU Arena.
Bella Finnegan led the Trees with 16 points and added a pair of blocks, while Keslyn Secrist tacked on 13 points. Mia Simpson scored a career-high 11, with seven different Sycamores scoring five-plus points.
Finnegan and Secrist combined to hit five threes in the first quarter as Indiana State led by a point through 10 minutes. That strong start was short-lived, though, as Illinois State outscored the Sycamores 28-9 in the second quarter and never looked back. Despite a 27-point third quarter, the highest-scoring quarter for Indiana State this season, the Sycamores never got closer than 14 in the second half. A late 3-point barrage in the fourth for the Redbirds put the game out of reach.
First Half
Indiana State opened the scoring with a basket down low from Chloe Williams, with Finnegan and Secrist connecting on back-to-back threes to give the Sycamores an early 8-5 lead. The Sycamores extended their lead to five midway through the first on two more treys from Secrist before Illinois State went on a 9-0 run to go in front. Finnegan put the Sycamores ahead 19-18 after the opening quarter by beating the buzzer on a three-ball from the wing.
Finnegan added a pair of midrange jumpers early in the second quarter to hit double-figures for the game, but a 13-0 run for the home side saw Indiana State facing a double-digit deficit. Deja Jones ended the scoring run with a jumper and Simpson added a pair of late free throws, but Indiana State was outscored 28-9 in the second quarter and faced a 46-28 deficit at the half.
Second Half
Early baskets in the third from Finnegan and Saige Stahl helped the Trees match Illinois State’s scoring in the first two minutes, and Davina Smith added a putback layup to get the deficit back under 20. Indiana State struggled in the middle stages of the quarter before Simpson took control late with four baskets inside the final four minutes. Williams added a late 3-pointer for the Sycamores, who closed on a 7-0 run to pull within 69-55 entering the fourth.
Queen Ruffin and Williams got the Sycamore scoring started in the fourth with baskets in the paint, but the Trees were unable to contain Illinois State on the other end. Secrist and Savannah White added baskets for the Blue and White in the middle stages of the fourth, but Illinois State closed the game on a 9-0 run as the Sycamores fell 96-69 on the road.
News and Notes
· Mia Simpson’s 11 points were her most in a Sycamore uniform, while her four field goals tied her season high.
· Indiana State matched its season high of eight 3-pointers while shooting 44.4 percent from behind the arc. The Trees were 5-for-8 from 3-point range in the first quarter.
· Indiana State held a lead at the end of the first quarter for the second straight game to begin conference play. The Sycamores are plus-five in the first quarter against MVC foes (36-31).
· Indiana State matched its season-high of six blocks, marking the second straight game with six blocks for the Sycamores. Four different players had a rejection in the contest.
· Indiana State’s 27-point third quarter was the Sycamores’ highest-scoring quarter this season. The Sycamores were 11-for-20 from the field, including a pair of 3-pointers, in the third.
Up Next
Indiana State closes its brief two-game road trip Sunday afternoon at Bradley, with tipoff slated for 3 p.m.
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