McLean County Times

Illinois State University's women's basketball team will face Louisiana Tech in the Women's National Invitation Tournament Great Eight at CEFCU Arena. The game on Monday will start at 6 p.m., and tickets are already on sale.

The winner of the matchup will move on to play against either North Dakota State or Troy in the WNIT Fab 4. Details about the upcoming game will be released later.

This will be the eighth meeting between Illinois State and Louisiana Tech and the third time they've met in the postseason. The Redbirds defeated the Lady Techsters 73-59 during the WNIT in 2009 and have claimed victory in the past two meetings, including a 70-53 win at the 2022 UNLV Thanksgiving Tournament.

Illinois State is making its 16th appearance in the WNIT and fourth since Kristen Gillespie took over as head coach. They hold an 18-10 WNIT record since 2000, maintaining a strong 15-3 record when playing at home. The team reached the WNIT Semifinals three consecutive times from 2009 to 2011.

The matchup on Thursday marks Illinois State's 36th game this season, equaling the record for most games played in a single season, a record shared by teams from 1980-81 and 2009-10. Players Shannon Dowell, Nevaeh Thomas, Addison Martin, Trista Fayta, Maya Wong, and Doneelah Washington are set to make their 36th appearances, matching a school record.

On an individual note, Shannon Dowell has scored 604 points this season, placing her fourth on the single-season scoring list for Illinois State. Dowell is one of only four players in program history to reach the 600-point milestone in a single season. Elyce Knudsen has achieved a milestone of her own with a career-high 85 three-pointers this season, making her one of three players in program history to hit more than 80 threes in a season. She is close to setting a new single-season three-pointer record.

More information on Illinois State tickets and other details can be found at GoRedbirds.com and the Illinois State Redbirds App.