McLean County Times

Illinois State University’s women’s basketball team made a late push but fell short against the University of Illinois, losing 75-65 on Sunday at the State Farm Center in Champaign. The Redbirds’ record moves to 1-1, while the Illini improve to 2-0.

Illinois took an early lead with an 11-2 run, prompting Illinois State head coach Kristen Gillespie to call a timeout with just under six minutes left in the first quarter. Three-point shots from Nevaeh Thomas and Bella Finnegan helped cut into the deficit, bringing the score to 15-10. Kya Hurt scored her first collegiate points soon after, narrowing it further to 15-12.

Trista Fayta’s free throws reduced Illinois’ lead to four points at the end of the first quarter. In the second period, Illinois started strong again before Thomas ended a scoring drought for Illinois State. The Redbirds managed four consecutive field goals late in the half and went into halftime trailing by six.

After halftime, Finnegan hit a three-pointer that brought Illinois State within three points. However, Illinois responded and rebuilt their advantage. Addison Martin’s fastbreak layup forced an Illini timeout midway through the third quarter.

Fayta later connected on a three-pointer as Illinois extended its lead toward double digits by quarter’s end. In the fourth quarter, Martin led a comeback effort for Illinois State with several key baskets during a 9-0 run that trimmed Illinois’ lead to two points with less than five minutes remaining.

Despite this rally, Illinois responded by extending their margin back to ten points before holding off another late surge from Thomas and securing victory.

The Redbirds outrebounded their opponents in the first half and held an edge in bench scoring. “Thomas led the Redbirds in scoring with 20 points on 9-of-11 shooting from the field and added three rebounds and four assists to cap off a strong day.” She was joined in double figures by Martin (12) and Finnegan (10), who also contributed seven rebounds. Fayta added seven points along with five assists.

The team will return home for its annual Education Day game against Chicago State on Wednesday, November 12 at CEFCU Arena.

GoRedbirds.com and the Illinois State Redbirds App remain resources for tickets, merchandise, photos, multimedia content, and more related to university athletics.