Box Score TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Redshirt senior Cierra Ceazer posted 19 points and Indiana State shot 43.8 percent from the floor as it posted its largest win over Wichita State in six seasons in a 59-33 victory in Friday night's Missouri Valley Conference opener at Hulman Center.
Ceazer combined with freshman guard Tierra Webb to both post double figures, as she came off the bench for 12 on the night on 4-for-6 shooting. Redshirt junior Kelsey Dirks grabbed a new career-high 10 rebounds for her first ISU performance in double-digits.
The 26 point win over the Shockers is the first 20-plus point victory for Indiana State in the series since 2010. Wichita State's 33 points are also the fewest given up by a Sycamore squad to a conference opponent since in entered the Missouri Valley Conference in 1992-93. The win also marked the first time ISU has held an opponent to 33 points or less since it's win over Illinois (Chicago) in 2012-13 (64-33).
Freshman guard Jennifer Mackowiak added seven points while senior guard Alexis Newbolt dished out a season-high five assists. Indiana State won the battle of the boards, 44-33, behind Dirks' career-high.
Redshirt sophomore Ashley Taia scored the Sycamores' first five points as it led by as many as seven in the first quarter and never trailed in the ballgame. They took a five point lead into the second quarter, 15-10, and a 5-0 run sparked by a pair of Newbolt free throws and Dirks' putback increased the lead to 22-12 with 4:28 to play.
ISU took advantage of a drought by the Shockers, who went the final 4:02 before the break without a field goal. A 10-0 run increased the Sycamores take its largest lead into the locker room at half, 32-14.
It was not a shooter's quarter in the third, as ISU put up just seven points while Wichita State hit one field goal in the 10 minute frame. But Indiana State was too much for the Shockers to overcome as it shot just 17.2 percent in the final 20 minutes.
SYCAMORE SNIPPETS
GAME CHANGER
Redshirt senior Cierra Ceazer did it all for the Sycamores, posting a team-high 19 points, narrowly missing a double-double with nine boards and adding two steals and an assist. The Sycamore defense also capitalized off Shocker errors as it scored 20 second-chance points and got 30 points inside the paint on the evening.
SYCAMORE LEADERS
Points – Cierra Ceazer (19)
Rebounds – Kelsey Dirks (10)
Assists – Alexis Newbolt (5)
Steals – Cierra Ceazer (2)
Blocks – Marshall, Dirks, Wentland (1)
ABOUT THE SQUAD
Field Goal % - 43.8
Free Throw % - 54.2
Assists – 10
Steals – 7
Rebounds - 44
RECORDS
Indiana State: 5-7, 1-0 MVC
Wichita State: 3-9, 0-1 MVC
IMPORTANT NUMBERS
1 – First win over Wichita State for second year head coach Joey Wells
4 – Indiana State picks up a win for the fourth time in five seasons
6 – First time in six years the Sycamores posted a 20-plus point win over the Shockers. The last time it happened – Feb. 14, 2010 in Terre Haute (81-59).
10 – 10th game in double-figures for redshirt senior guard Cierra Ceazer who dropped 19 points on 7-for-13 shooting
10 – Redshirt junior Kelsey Dirks also set a new career-high, grabbing 10 rebounds
26 – The 26 point win is the largest in the series for the Sycamores since 2007, when it defeated WSU in Terre Haute (96-63)
33 – Wichita State's 33 points are the fewest allowed by a Sycamore team under head coach Joey Wells and the fewest ever allowed by a Sycamore team in Missouri Valley Conference play
UP NEXT
Preseason league favorite Missouri State visits Hulman Center on Sunday with tip set for 2:05 p.m. ET. The game will be shown locally on WAWV-TV and worldwide 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.
