McLean County Times

ST LOUIS – Nevaeh Thomas led the Illinois State women's basketball team with 21 points and 10 rebounds, but the team suffered its first loss of the season against Saint Louis, ending with a score of 78-71 at Chaifetz Arena. This marked Illinois State's second game of the season.

Thomas scored 15 points in the first half alone, beginning with 12 points in the first quarter. Her performance was her first double-double as a Redbird, hitting 9 out of 16 shots and two three-pointers.

Four other players from Illinois State achieved double figures. Lauren Cohen, in her second career start, scored 11 points and made all three of her attempts from beyond the arc. Shannon Dowell added 14 points, Addison Martin had 12, and Maya Wong contributed another 11.

Illinois State initially led by nine after Thomas hit a three-pointer late in the first quarter. They expanded their lead to 31-19 following a run featuring baskets by Dowell and consecutive three-pointers by Cohen. However, Saint Louis responded to take a narrow lead at halftime.

The third quarter saw both teams exchanging leads until Illinois State briefly regained control before entering the final quarter ahead by three points. Ultimately, Saint Louis secured victory with an advance to 68-61 that they maintained for the remainder of the game.

In addition to Thomas's performance marking her second double-double this year for Illinois State following Martin's similar achievement against Northwestern, Maya Wong also reached significant milestones during Tuesday’s game. She surpassed 400 career assists and made her 100th start for Illinois State.

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