Second-quarter shutout sends Sycamores to second straight win
Indiana State pitched a shutout in the second quarter Wednesday evening, propelling the Sycamores to a wire-to-wire 72-47 win in their non-conference finale over visiting Detroit Mercy inside Hulman Center.
Del'Janae Williams led all scorers with 14 points, while Adrian Folks scored a season-high 13 off the bench and Hattie Westerfeld added 11. Westerfeld finished one rebound shy of her first career double-double, while Anna McKendree pitched in with eight points, a season-high eight assists and six rebounds.
After a back-and-forth start, Indiana State took full control with a 28-0 run to close the first half and never looked back. The Sycamores outscored Detroit Mercy 24-0 in the second quarter to take a 43-12 lead into the locker room and, despite Detroit Mercy scoring 35 in the second half, cruised to their second straight win to close the non-conference schedule.
First Half
Chelsea Cain opened the scoring with layups on back-to-back possessions, and Williams followed with a 3-pointer that gave the Sycamores the lead for good. A Westerfeld layup gave the Trees their largest lead of the opening quarter at 11-4, but the visitors kept within reach for most of the first period. Baskets by Caitlin Anderson and Westerfeld inside the final minute kickstarted Indiana State's 28-0 run and gave the Sycamores a 19-12 lead after one.
Everything was working for the Sycamores in the second quarter, as Detroit Mercy was 0-for-11 from the field while Indiana State hit two-thirds of its shots. Folks started the scoring in the second with a layup, with Bella Finnegan chipping in five quick points on a three-ball and a layup to make it 28-12. Williams later connected on another 3-pointer to push the lead to 20-plus points, but the Sycamores weren't done yet in the half. Layups in the final minute by Williams and Westerfeld gave Indiana State its largest halftime lead of the season at 43-12.
Second Half
Detroit Mercy came out of the locker room with energy and quickly cut the Sycamore lead down to 25, but Indiana State responded with an 8-0 run, with Ella Sawyer scoring four of those to make it 55-22. Layups by Mya Glanton and Folks gave Indiana State its largest lead of the game at 60-25 with less than a minute to go in the quarter. Despite a 5-0 run by the Titans, Indiana State took a 60-30 lead into the fourth.
Indiana State's offense went stagnant for the first few minutes of the final quarter before things started to pick up, as Detroit Mercy scored the first eight points as part of an extended 15-1 run spanning the end of the third and start of the fourth. Folks scored seven of the Sycamores' 12 points in the fourth, knocking down 5-of-6 free throws in the process. McKendree hit a late layup and Cain added a midrange jumper on the Sycamores' final possession, giving Indiana State a 72-46 win and pushing the Sycamores back over .500.
Inside the Numbers
• Indiana State scored a season-high 48 points in the pain, the second time this season the Sycamores recorded 40-plus points in the paint (Central Michigan).
• Adrian Folks (13) and Hattie Westerfeld (11) both notched season-highs in scoring and scored in double-figures for the first time this season. Westerfeld finished one rebound shy of her first career double-double.
• Anna McKendree's eight assists were her most in a Sycamore uniform, surpassing the seven she had against Western Michigan earlier this season.
• Indiana State was plus-nine on the glass (44-35), including 15 offensive rebounds. The Sycamores turned those into 15 second chance points.
• Indiana State forced 21 turnovers, its most since forcing 28 turnovers against Chicago State in November.
News & Notes
• Indiana State's 28-0 run to close the first half was its longest under head coach Chad Killinger.
• Indiana State held Detroit Mercy scoreless in the second quarter, marking the first time the Sycamores held an opponent scoreless in a quarter since Feb. 8, 2020 against Valparaiso.
• Indiana State finished non-conference play at 5-4, giving the Sycamores a winning record heading into the holidays for the first time since the 2016-17 season (min. 7 games played).
• The Sycamores improved to 4-0 when three players scored in double-figures (Williams 14, Folks 13, Westerfeld 11).
• Indiana State is 3-1 this season and 9-2 under head coach Chad Killinger when holding opponents under 60 points.
• At 5-2 in home games, Indiana State already surpassed its 2021-22 home win total (four). It is Indiana State's best home start since the 2014-15 season, when the Sycamores were 5-1 in their first six home games.
Up Next
Indiana State has a week off before opening Missouri Valley Conference play December 29 against Missouri State. Tipoff from Hulman Center is set for 4 p.m.
Original source can be found here.
Alerts Sign-up