McLean County Times

Illinois State University's women's basketball team faced a narrow defeat against Drake University in Des Moines. The game, held at the Knapp Center, ended with a score of 79-74 in favor of Drake. This result ended Illinois State's five-game winning streak, leaving both teams with identical records of 14-8 overall and 8-3 in the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC).

Addison Martin was a standout performer for Illinois State, contributing 20 points, eight rebounds, two assists, and one steal. This marked her second game scoring over 20 points in the last three matches. Maya Wong also made significant contributions with 17 points and four assists, tying her career-high by making five three-pointers.

Elyce Knudsen and Nevaeh Thomas also scored in double figures for Illinois State. Thomas recorded 14 points, five rebounds, and two steals while Knudsen added 13 points and two assists to the team's efforts. Shannon Dowell overcame shooting difficulties to achieve a season-high of eight assists along with seven rebounds.

The game was tightly contested throughout. After being tied at halftime, Drake initiated an eight-point run early in the second half. However, Illinois State responded by scoring ten consecutive points to take a brief lead. The Redbirds managed to hold onto their advantage into the fourth quarter but were eventually overtaken by Drake.

In terms of team performance, this was the sixteenth time this season that Illinois State had four or more players scoring in double figures. Despite this loss, they have maintained a strong record when achieving this feat since the start of the previous season.

Martin continued her impressive shooting form by maintaining over 50% accuracy from the field for eleven consecutive MVC games—a record unmatched by any other player in the conference this season.

The Redbirds demonstrated ball control with only seven turnovers during the match—marking their third game out of four with fewer than ten turnovers.

Dowell's assist tally was notable as it marked the highest number recorded by any Redbird player this season since Wong's nine-assist performance against Evansville last year.

Doneelah Washington added to her defensive statistics with two blocks during Friday's game—bringing her total to twenty-five for the season—and she currently ranks second among all MVC players for blocks since league play began.

For further updates on Illinois State sports events or merchandise information visit GoRedbirds.com or download their official app.