Indiana State’s Clemisha Prackett scores against Valparaiso
Indiana State’s Clemisha Prackett scores over the Valparaiso defense during the Sycamores’ 88-78 win Thursday at Hulman Center.
The Indiana State women’s basketball team defeated Valparaiso 88-78 in Missouri Valley Conference women’s basketball action Thursday afternoon in Hulman Center.
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SPT 010126 ISU KELSEY 3
Indiana State’s Tierney Kelsey hits a 3-point shot over the Valparaiso defense during the Sycamores’ 88-78 win Thursday at Hulman Center. Kelsey and teammate Clemisha Prackett led the Sycamores in scoring with 18 points apiece.
ISU looked to keep Valpo winless and get back on the winning track after five consecutive losses. Despite an early first-quarter charge by the Beacons, ISU was able to snap the skid and kept Valpo winless. It was a big win for ISU after a rough 105-64 loss at Illinois State on Monday.
“I think our mindset has changed,” coach Marc Mitchell said of what changed between the two games. “Some of the conversations I’m having individually with our players, I’ve had an individual conversation with Moo here [Clemisha Prackett], I’ve had conversations with Sami [Samiyah Briggs], Jayci [Allen] having these conversations like ‘hey like this is what we have to do, if you’re not willing to do it, you have to step aside.’”
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He said the team has been very attentive in practice the last couple of days and said they’re looking to move forward.
The Sycamores were paced by 18 points each from Tierney Kelsey and Prackett. Prackett attributed her scoring success to what the coaching staff tells them. She also wants to make a statement in the MVC.
Kennedy Claybrooks helped out offensively with 12 points and attributed the success to her teammates.
“Getting them involved, it just opens up the floor more, so I just feel like we have to keep pushing as a team and the wins will come,” Claybrooks said.
Valpo started out the scoring with a bucket from Kamryn Winch before Da’Naria Washington cashed in on a bucket. Valpo went up 6-2 before a Briggs bucket. But Allia Von Schlegell sank a 3-pointer to make it 9-4 early. But the Sycamores kept it competitive as they didn’t let the Beacons get too far out in front. Jayci Allen hit a clutch 3-pointer to give ISU the lead at 14-11 with 4:19 to go in the first as the Sycamores went on an 8-0 run. It remained a tight game in the early going and at the end of the first, ISU held a 23-22 lead.
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In the second quarter, it was more of the same as both sides looked for the best offensive opportunities. Later in the second quarter, the Beacons went cold, and ISU heated up which resulted in a six-point lead for the home team. ISU had flipped the script on Valpo’s early charge in the first quarter. By the end of the quarter, ISU held a 47-35 lead.
The third quarter saw the Sycamores continue their hot shooting as they held onto a sizable lead. Valpo heated up a bit in the third quarter, but with the lead the Sycamores built up in the second quarter, the Sycamores had their building block to cling to. By the end of the quarter, ISU held a 79-58 lead.
Valparaiso opened the fourth quarter on a 5-0 run to make it 79-63 and the Beacons eventually cut the 21-point deficit down to eight on a 9-0 run in the last 3:03. In the end, the Beacons outscored ISU 20-9 in the fourth, but ISU hung on for the victory.
“I’m going to have to look at the film,” Mitchell said about the rough fourth quarter.
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He also noted the first quarter where the Sycamores allowed 22 points and then the third where they allowed 23 before being outscored 20-9 in the fourth.
“I don’t like that at all,” Mitchell said. “That’s not a winning formula, so we’re going to have to fix that.”
While Mitchell wasn’t pleased with letting the Beacons score 20+ points in three of the four quarters, the Sycamores did do well with points in the paint as they outscored Valpo 32-20.
“A lot of those were some fast break points in the paint,” Mitchell said. “We felt good about getting the ball downstairs.”
VALPARISO (80) — Connolly 5-7 8-11 21, Schlegell 6-12 2-2 17, Sullivan 2-13 8-8 14, Winch 3-5 1-2 7, Huffine 2-6 2-2 7, Dibb 2-5 1-2 5, Sproule 1-1 0-0 3, Preston 1-3 0-0 3, Waytashek 0-2 1-2 1, Nenadic 0-3 0-0 0. Totals 22-57 FG, 23-29 FT, 80 TP.
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ISU (88) — Kelsey 6-13 5-5 18, Prackett 6-11 6-8 18, Briggs 4-10 4-8 14, Claybrooks 5-9 1-1 12, Allen 3-5 2-2 10, Washington 3-6 2-2 8, Smith 3-17 2-2 8, Flowers 0-2 0-0 0, Tavares 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 30-74 FG, 22-28 FT, 88 TP.
Valpariso 22 13 23 20 — 78ISU 23 24 32 9 — 883-point goals — Valpo 11-27 (Sproule 1-1, Preston 1-1, Huffine 1-3, Connolly 3-5, Schlegell 3-7, Sullivan 2-8, Dibb 0-2), ISU 6-25 (Allen 2-3, Claybrooks 1-3, Briggs 2-5, Kelsey 1-5, Washington 0-3, Smith 0-6). Rebounds — Valpo 41 (Winch 9), ISU 43 (Briggs 8). Assists — Valpo 11 (Huffine 7), ISU 15 (Briggs 5). Total fouls — Valpo 22, ISU 18. Fouled out — None. A — 997.
Next — Indiana State (5-8, 1-2) is back in action at 3 p.m. Sunday at UIC, while Valpo (0-14, 0-3) is back in action at 4 p.m. EST Saturday at Evansville.
