Southern Illinois defeated the Illinois State Redbirds 84-60 on Friday night at Banterra Center in Carbondale. The Salukis, who now hold a 9-13 record and are 6-7 in the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC), shot nearly 50 percent from the field and 60 percent from three-point range.
Illinois State began the game with a brief lead after Doneelah Washington hit a three-pointer two-and-a-half minutes into play. Southern Illinois responded with a 12-0 run, taking control of the first quarter. The Redbirds answered with their own scoring stretch, narrowing the gap to three points by the end of the period.
The second quarter saw Southern Illinois extend its advantage with an 18-2 run. Although Addison Martin and Washington contributed points to slow SIU’s momentum, the Salukis maintained a strong lead, entering halftime ahead 42-25.
After halftime, Illinois State cut into SIU’s lead early in the third quarter. However, Southern Illinois quickly regained control and led by as many as 20 points before closing out the period up by 23 after making their ninth three-pointer of the game.
In the fourth quarter, Bella Finnegan made her third three-pointer for Illinois State while Washington added six consecutive points. Despite these efforts, Southern Illinois held on for a comfortable win.
The loss ended both a four-game winning streak for Illinois State and an eight-game win streak against Southern Illinois. “Washington scored 12 of her team-high 19 points in the second half and added six rebounds, four blocks, three steals and two assists in the game against the Salukis.” “Finnegan finished in double figures for the third-straight game, as she shot 50 percent from three-point range (3-for-6) to finish the game with 14 points to go along with three rebounds.” With this performance, Finnegan surpassed 1,000 career points across her time at Indiana State and Illinois State. Trista Fayta also contributed seven points along with five assists and five rebounds over 31 minutes.
Illinois State continues its road trip on Sunday against Evansville.
The official website notes that Illinois State Redbirds is linked to Illinois State University and competes in NCAA Division I events across various regions. The site provides news updates, schedules, rosters and resources for fans to support its athletic community. The Redbird Athletics Excellence Fund supports competitiveness and recruitment efforts while student-athletes benefit from facilities such as OSF HealthCare Athletics Training Center.
