Women's Basketball Tournament

WBB Recap: Indiana State 81, Southern Illinois 69

Final Score
(9) Indiana State 81, (8) Southern Illinois 69
 
Updated Records
(9) Indiana State 10-21 (5-15 MVC)          (8) Southern Illinois 10-20 (7-13 MVC)
 
What’s Next
(9) Indiana State: Friday, March 13 at noon vs. (1) Murray State in the first quarterfinal game (Game 4) of the 2026 MVC Women’s Basketball Tournament
(8) Southern Illinois: Season is complete
 
Turning Point
With Southern Illinois battling foul trouble throughout, Indiana State used Tierney Kelsey’s 24 points and a 14-point, 14-rebound double-double by Amerie Flowers for a 81-69 win over the SIU in the first Opening Round Game of the Credit Union1 MVC Women’s Basketball Tournament at Coralville, Iowa.
 
MVC Tournament Notes
(9) Indiana State: Looking for its first tourney title, Indiana State is now 16-31 all-time in the tournament, the Sycamores are 4-6 against SIU in MVC Tournament play. They are 2-2 as a No. 9 seed and 5-5 in Opening Round games. No. 9 seeds are 14-18 in the tournament with one championship.
(8) Southern Illinois: SIU is now 21-32 all-time in the tournament, the Salukis are 6-4 against Indiana State in MVC Tournament play. They are 1-7 as a No. 8 seed and 4-9 in Opening Round games.  No. 8 seeds are 15-31 in the tournament with two championships.
 
Team Notes
  • Regular Foes … The Salukis and Sycamores have met five times in the last six Valley Tournaments, with four of those in the Opening Round. SIU has a 3-2 edge in those games.
(9) Indiana State:
  • Low Score … Indiana State held SIU to six points in the second quarter, the lowest scored in a quarter against INSU this season and just the second time the Sycamores have held a team to single digits in a quarter this season.
  • Strong Finish… SIU melted a once-13-point Indiana State lead to 59-58 with 8:35 left in the game, but the Sycamores finished the game on a 22-11 sprint with Kennedy Claybrooks scoring nine of those 22 points to finish with 18 for the game.
(8) Southern Illinois:
  • Hot & Cold … SIU made 7-of-9 (.778) field goals in the first five minutes, but just 4-of-25 (.160) the rest of the half. Its six second-quarter points marked just the sixth time this season the Salukis had a single-digit quarter. Ironically, the Salukis also opened the second half 7-of-9 from the field.
  • SIU Surges … The Sycamores led 50-37 with 6:41 left in the third quarter when SIU went on a 14-3 spurt to slice the lead to 53-51, while holding Indiana State to just 1-of-8 from the field during that time.  An Alayna Kraus bucket cut the lead back to 57-54 at the end of the third quarter.
  • Thompson Doubles … Jeniah Thompson collected a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds, passing those thresholds with 7:00 remaining in the game.
  • Kraus Scores … Alayna Kraus had 16 of her game-high 25 points after halftime.