Indiana State women’s basketball started the second quarter with the lead and never looked back.  

The Sycamores were able to use an 18-4 run over the first four minutes of the quarter to fully pull away. 

Eastern was able to get within four points in the same quarter, but it did not matter as Indiana State came out just as fast in the third quarter and never let the Panthers get within more than six points again. 

Indiana State closed the game out in the fourth as the lead grew to over 20 and won 90-69 on Thursday night at the Hulman Center in Terre Haute, Indiana. 

“We were atrocious, we were bad. That’s what it was. We were terrible,” head coach Marqus McGlothan said. 

Redshirt junior guard Jayci Allen and sophomore guard Tierney Kelsey led the scoring for the Sycamores (1-1) with 21 and 22 points respectively. 

Eastern (0-3) was able to lead in second chance points 16-5, but Indiana State was able to get more fast break points 29-23. 

Indiana State shot 33-69 and 48 percent overall and 47 percent from three. Eastern only shot 22-71 and 31 percent overall and 32 percent from range.  

Both teams had at least 20 turnovers. 

“We were terrible from the free throw line; we were terrible on defense. We had [22] turnovers; we were terrible on taking care of the ball. We were awful,” McGlothan said. 

McGlothan said that the team cannot get stops, and he has to figure out how to get the defensive side of the ball to start working. 

Junior guard Ava Stoller tried to keep the Panthers in the game as she scored 13 points of her own but only went 2-of-10 from the field.  

She made nine free throws and only missed one. It was her first miss of the season.  

Redshirt sophomore center Abbie Boutilier had career highs with nine points and six rebounds. 

Junior guard Clara Glad and redshirt junior forward Sydney-James Desroches tallied 12 and 13 points in the loss as well.  

Junior guard Lalani Ellis started the game but only played for five minutes and came out of the second half with a boot on her left foot.  

Ellis began the season coming back from an injury but seemed to get injured again during the first half. 

McGlothan was overall frustrated with how Eastern played throughout the game and said that they need to bounce back going forward.  

“We took a loss to a team that we shouldn’t have lost to,” McGlothan said.  

The Sycamores do not have a single returner as they brought in 14 transfers from the offseason.  

EIU stays on the road as it goes to No. 24 Michigan State on Nov. 20.  

Patrick Schmitz can be reached at 581-2812 or at [email protected].