McLean County Times

Illinois State women's basketball faced a challenging match against Missouri State, resulting in a 72-47 defeat at the Great Southern Bank Arena. The loss brings Illinois State's record to 19-11 overall and 13-6 in the MVC, while Missouri State improved to 23-7 overall and 15-4 in the conference.

The Redbirds struggled with their shooting throughout the game, finishing with a field goal percentage of 33.3% and a three-point percentage of 21.1%. Their total score of 47 points marked their lowest for the season. Shannon Dowell led her team by scoring 14 points, securing eight rebounds, and providing four assists. Elyce Knudsen also made it into double figures with 13 points.

In the first quarter, Illinois State kept pace with Missouri State, trailing only slightly at 21-18 after Knudsen's successful shot brought them within one possession. Knudsen contributed eight points in this opening period, including the final five points for her team.

Dowell initiated the scoring in the second quarter, bringing Illinois State close at 21-20 early on. She scored six of Illinois State's initial eight points in this period. However, by halftime, Missouri State had established a lead of eight points following a run of ten unanswered points.

Entering halftime with a deficit of 38-30, Illinois State could not recover from Missouri State's dominant third-quarter performance that included a decisive 14-2 run. Overall, Missouri State outscored Illinois State by a margin of 34-17 in the second half.

Freshman Doneelah Washington made history during the game by achieving her 30th block of the season. This accomplishment places her as second all-time among freshmen in program history for blocks, joining Leslie Ferrell who holds the record with 48 blocks during her rookie year from 1986 to '87.

Knudsen continued her streak by finishing in double figures for seven consecutive games. Over these games, she has averaged 14.3 points per game while maintaining shooting percentages of 48.1% from the floor and an impressive 52.6% from beyond the arc.

Fans can find more information about tickets and merchandise through GoRedbirds.com and the Illinois State Redbirds App.