Gregory Street Tennis Courts | Illinois State University Athletics
Gregory Street Tennis Courts | Illinois State University Athletics
Illinois State University's women's basketball team secured a narrow victory over UIC with a final score of 65-64. The game took place on Thursday night at CEFCU Arena, where Illinois State managed to overturn a three-point deficit in the last ten seconds by making five crucial free throws.
The Redbirds had four players scoring in double figures. Shannon Dowell and Addison Martin led the team with 15 points each. Martin scored 10 points in the first half, while Dowell contributed 11 points in the second half. Nevaeh Thomas added 13 points, and Elyce Knudsen scored 10.
Despite leading by nine points during the third quarter, Illinois State could not maintain their lead against UIC. A key moment came when Dowell's basket concluded a 6-0 run, giving the Redbirds a temporary advantage of 44-35. They ended the third quarter ahead at 48-40.
UIC fought back with a strong performance, narrowing Illinois State's lead to just two points early in the fourth quarter. The Redbirds responded with Thomas scoring four consecutive points to extend their lead to seven. However, UIC launched a significant comeback with a 13-2 run, putting them ahead by four with only ten seconds left on the clock.
Maya Wong was fouled during a three-point attempt near Illinois State's bench and successfully made all three free throws. Despite UIC leading briefly at 64-63 after their own trip to the line, Dowell drove towards the basket and was fouled on her next possession, securing two game-winning free throws for Illinois State.
Illinois State shot an impressive 52.1% from the field and dominated rebounds with a margin of six over UIC. This win marks their ninth time shooting above 50% in Missouri Valley Conference play this season and their eighteenth win when outrebounding opponents.
The victory also highlights Illinois State's dominance against local rivals; they have now improved to seven wins out of eight games against in-state teams this year and boast an impressive record inside CEFCU Arena since the start of the previous campaign.
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