McLean County Times

Elyce Knudsen has been named the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) Newcomer of the Week for the second time this season. The announcement was made by the Valley office on Monday.

Knudsen's performance was instrumental in Illinois State's 74-58 victory over Bradley on Sunday, where she scored 20 points, collected four rebounds, and provided three assists. This achievement pushed her career total past 2,500 points, making her one of only three active players to reach this milestone. It also marked her second consecutive game with more than 20 points, following a season-high of 24 points against UIC on January 19.

In Sunday's game, Knudsen shot an impressive 8-for-12 from the field, marking the only instance in Valley play this season where a newcomer has scored over 20 points with better than 65% shooting accuracy. Overall, it was Knudsen's second such performance this season.

This recognition is not new for Knudsen as she previously earned the same honor after averaging 14.6 points and three rebounds per game at the Gulf Coast Showcase. During a match against New Mexico State on December 1, she notably scored 18 of her total 23 points in the last eleven minutes to secure a win for Illinois State.

The MVC Newcomer of the Week award has been claimed four times by Redbirds players this year; junior Addison Martin is also a two-time recipient.

Currently, Knudsen averages 13.5 points per game with a shooting percentage of 46.6% from the field and ranks third in MVC with a three-point shooting accuracy of 41.7%.

Further information about Illinois State athletics can be found at GoRedbirds.com or through the Illinois State Redbirds App.