TERRE HAUTE, Ind.  –  Freshman guard Tierra Webb dropped in a new career-high 19 points as she helped lead Indiana State to victory over Loyola, 62-48, on Friday night in Missouri Valley Conference action at Hulman Center.

The Richton Park, Ill. native went 5-for-9 from the floor and 7-for-8 from the free throw line for a new career-high 19 points. She added four rebounds and two assists while committing zero turnovers.

Junior forward Rhagen Smith earned her first start of the season and also got into double digits with 10 points and seven rebounds – four of which were on the offensive glass. Redshirt junior Joyea Marshall led on the rebounding glass with a team-high 11 rebounds and added six second-half points. Redshirt senior Cierra Ceazer narrowly missed a double-double with nine points and nine rebounds. Redshirt sophomore Ashley Taia dished out a new career-high four assists in the win.

The Sycamores put together one of their better nights from the free throw line, going 71.4 percent backed by Webb. Collectively, ISU shot 36.8 percent from the floor including a 42.9 percent mark in the second half.

It was a back and forth first half which featured five ties and six lead changes in the first 20 minutes of play. Dirks' jumper with 1:36 to play in the first half gave ISU a 14-12 advantage after the first quarter.  Smith and Webb drained back-to-back 3-pointers which sparked a 13-0 run to close the first half as ISU led 33-20 at the break.

It was a cold start to the second half as Indiana State didn't hit a shot until Smith hit the jumper on the right side with 5:29 to play in the third quarter. The shot sparked another run, a 6-0, which led the Sycamores into the media timeout of the break. The Sycamores led by as many as 12 in the half but Loyola closed the third with four straight points cutting the lead down to 43-35.

Loyola cut it down to eight with 6:37 to play in the fourth quarter but Marshall picked a good time to score her first field goal of the night and drew the foul. Extending the lead back to 10, ISU never let Loyola get back into it as Webb capitalized on bonus free throws – six in the final 3:37 of the game – to help seal it.

QUOTE OF THE NIGHT

“We didn't have a great week of practice, to be honest with you, but I think (our team) got together and said 'We're better than this' and they wanted to prove it tonight and I'm glad they did,” ISU head coach Joey Wells said.

Coach

GAME CHANGER

Webb's 19 points in her second career start and a 42.9 percent clip from the floor in the second half helped lift Indiana State as it stopped a two-game skid.

SYCAMORE LEADERS

Points – T. Webb (19)

Rebounds – J. Marshall (11)

Assists – A. Taia (4)

Steals – A. Newbolt/A. Taia (3)

Blocks – K. Dirks (2)

ABOUT THE SQUAD

Field Goal % - 36.8

3-Point FG % - 29.4

Free Throw % - 71.4

Rebounds - 45

Assists – 15

Steals – 12

RECORDS
Indiana State: 7-10, 3-3 MVC

Loyola: 8-9, 4-2 MVC

IMPORTANT NUMBERS

0 – Zero turnovers for freshman guard Tierra Webb who also led with a game-high 19 points

1 – Junior forward Rhagen Smith earned her first start of the season and her fourth overall in her career

5 – Indiana State posted its fourth-straight home win in the series, winning every meeting between the two schools on its home court

6 – Indiana State used its sixth different starting lineup in Friday's win over the Ramblers

UP NEXT

Indiana State is back in action on Sunday for a special 12:05 p.m. ET, as the first game of a double header with men's basketball, against Bradley. The game will be live on The Valley on ESPN3.

For the latest information on the Sycamore Women's Basketball team, make sure to check out GoSycamores.com. You can also find the team on social media including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.