Four Indiana State players scored in double-figures Sunday afternoon, but a slow start proved costly in an 88-58 defeat for the Sycamores against Belmont inside the Curb Event Center.
Bella Finnegan led the Sycamores with 17 points, with Deja Jones, Keslyn Secrist and Davina Smith adding 10 points each. Mia Simpson had seven points, seven rebounds and six assists, with Secrist and Savannah White both pulling down six rebounds.
Indiana State made just three baskets in the first quarter, as Belmont led 19-6 through 10 minutes and never looked back. The Sycamores picked up momentum in the second with Jones and Finnegan combining for 13 in the quarter, but still faced a double-digit deficit at the break. Indiana State struggled in the third quarter, being outscored 24-12 in the period and, despite a 21-point fourth quarter, fell in the finale of its two-game road trip.
First Half
Indiana State went nearly four minutes without a basket to start the game until Finnegan hit a midrange jumper. The Sycamores went on another scoring drought after that basket though, going more than five minutes without a point until late baskets from Finnegan and Smith. Indiana State’s scoring struggles saw the Sycamores trailing 19-6 after the opening quarter.
Back-to-back threes added to the Belmont advantage before Jones and Secrist converted layups for the Sycamores to cut into the deficit. Finnegan found her stroke with a three-ball and later added a jumper midway through, while Smith added a pair of jumpers in the late stages of the quarter. Jones tacked on a three-ball for the Trees with just over a minute to go, as Indiana State used a late run to pull within 39-25 at the half.
Second Half
Another slow start to a quarter loomed large, as Belmont scored the first seven points of the third to extend its lead to 20. Simpson and Jones knocked down baskets midway through the quarter, with Finnegan adding a trey just past the halfway point of the period. Secrist converted on a three-point play and Finnegan added a late layup, but the Sycamores trailed 63-37 heading into the fourth quarter.
Smith hit an early layup in the fourth quarter, but Belmont dictated the tempo early in the period and pushed its lead past 30. Back-to-back baskets from Simpson cut into the deficit, and Secrist added a layup just before the midway point. Finnegan knocked down another trey, with Secrist, Simpson and White adding free throws in the later stages, but it was all elementary by that point. Smith closed the Sycamores’ scoring with a pair of free throws, as the Trees fell by an 88-58 margin.
News and Notes
- Davina Smith scored in double-figures for the first time in her Indiana State career, finishing with 10 points and also hitting a season-high four field goals.
- Mia Simpson’s six assists were her most in an Indiana State uniform.
- Bella Finnegan’s 17 points and seven field goals were the most among any player from either team in Sunday’s game.
- Indiana State took advantage of Belmont’s turnovers, converting 15 giveaways into 16 points on the other end.
- All seven players who saw the court for Indiana State in Sunday’s game had at least two points and one rebound, while six played 24 or more minutes.
Up Next
Indiana State returns to Hulman Center for a Thursday night contest against Valparaiso, with tipoff slated for 7 p.m.
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