TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (Interstat) — Indiana State defeated Evansville 77-71 in a women’s NCAA Division I basketball game Sunday at Hulman Center. The Sycamores led 37-24 at halftime and withstood a late push from the Purple Aces, who outscored Indiana State 27-24 in the fourth quarter. Camryn Runner led all scorers with 30 points for Evansville, adding nine rebounds and seven assists. Kennedy Claybrooks paced Indiana State with 13 points, nine rebounds and nine assists. Indiana State improved to 6-11 overall. Evansville fell to 4-14. Attendance was 1,103.

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (Interstat) — In a game defined by a dominant individual performance and a resilient team response, the Indiana State Sycamores held off a furious fourth-quarter rally from the Evansville Purple Aces to secure a 77-71 victory in a Missouri Valley Conference women’s basketball matchup Sunday at Hulman Center. The contest pivoted on the all-around excellence of Indiana State guard Kennedy Claybrooks. The Memphis, Tennessee, native orchestrated the Sycamores’ offense and anchored their defense, finishing with 13 points, nine rebounds, nine assists and three blocks, narrowly missing a triple-double. Her command was the steadying force for Indiana State, which improved to 6-11 overall. Evansville, which fell to 4-14, was carried by a spectacular scoring outburst from guard Camryn Runner. The Cicero, Indiana, product poured in 30 points on 10-of-28 shooting, adding nine rebounds and seven assists in 38 minutes. Her backcourt mate, Sydney Huber of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, provided crucial support with 18 points, including three 3-pointers. The Sycamores built their winning margin through superior efficiency, capitalizing on a significant disparity in possessions. Indiana State scored its 77 points on just 77 trips, an offensive rating of 99.5, while Evansville required 87 possessions to reach 71 points, an offensive rating of 81.6. The Sycamores shot 40.6% from the field to Evansville’s 33.3% and outscored the Aces 19-15 at the free-throw line. Indiana State established control early, leading 18-13 after a first quarter and extending the advantage to 37-24 by halftime. The Sycamores’ defense stifled Evansville, holding the Aces to 24 points on 9-of-34 shooting in the first half. The lead ballooned to 53-41 heading into the final period, seemingly putting the game out of reach. The most important part of the game, however, was Evansville’s relentless fourth-quarter charge. Runner and Huber ignited the comeback, spearheading a 27-point period that saw the Aces whittle the deficit down to a single possession multiple times in the final minutes. Evansville’s full-court pressure forced 13 Indiana State turnovers, converting them into 14 points. With under a minute to play and the Sycamores clinging to a 74-71 lead, the outcome hung in the balance. Following an Indiana State timeout, Claybrooks was fouled and calmly sank two free throws with 10 seconds remaining to push the lead to 76-71. After an Evansville miss, she added another free throw to seal the six-point victory, demonstrating the poise that defined her afternoon. Beyond Claybrooks, Indiana State received balanced contributions. Da’Naria Washington of Indianapolis scored 17 points with six rebounds and four assists. Clemisha Prackett of West Memphis, Arkansas, posted a double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds, and Amerie Flowers of Willowbrook, Illinois, added 10 points off the bench. For Evansville, Breaunna Ward of Hazelwood, Missouri, scored seven points, while Jelena Savic of Melbourne, Australia, grabbed eight rebounds. The Aces won the battle in the paint, 42-36, and on the offensive glass, with each team collecting 12 offensive rebounds, but their 4-for-21 shooting from 3-point range proved costly. A crowd of 1,103 watched the Sycamores snap a two-game skid, while Evansville saw its modest one-game win streak come to an end. The teams are scheduled to meet again in Evansville on Feb. 1. Indiana State next travels to face Southern Illinois on Thursday. Evansville continues its road swing at Drake on Friday.

Preview: Evansville at Indiana State in Missouri Valley Women’s Basketball TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (Interstat) — Two teams seeking traction in the Missouri Valley Conference will meet Sunday when the Indiana State Sycamores host the Evansville Purple Aces in a women’s basketball matchup at Hulman Center. Both programs enter the contest on losing streaks, with Evansville (4-12, 1-4 MVC) dropping its last outing and Indiana State (5-11, 1-5) having lost five of its last six. The game represents a chance for either squad to steady its conference campaign. The Purple Aces are led by guard Jelena Savic, who is coming off a strong all-around performance in a 71-82 loss at Illinois State last Sunday. Savic logged 28 minutes, scoring 14 points with five rebounds, two assists and a block. Her production will be key alongside Camryn Runner, who scored 17 points in that loss, and Georgia Cox, who posted a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Indiana State counters with guard Tierney Kelsey, who has been a consistent offensive threat. Kelsey scored 18 points in the Sycamores’ most recent game, an 85-77 home loss to Belmont on Thursday. She has reached double figures in scoring in five of her last seven contests, including a 21-point effort against Old Dominion in December. Evansville won its last conference game on the road, a 75-70 victory at Southern Illinois on Jan. 8, but has struggled for consistency. Indiana State’s lone MVC win came against Valparaiso, 88-78, on New Year’s Day. Defensive execution may prove decisive. Both teams have allowed 70 or more points in the majority of their recent games. Evansville allows an average of 73.1 points per game, while Indiana State surrenders 81.9 per contest. This is the first of two scheduled meetings between the schools this season. They will meet again at Evansville on Feb. 1. The game is scheduled for a 2 p.m. EST tipoff on Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026.