Western Illinois Snaps Illinois State's 26-Game Winning Streak

This time, the Illinois State comeback came up short and Western Illinois ended the Redbirds' 26-game winning streak in the series with a 74-64 win Wednesday in Macomb. A year ago, ISU overcame a 13-point WIU second-half lead in Redbird Arena to win in overtime. But Doshia Woods led four Westerwinds in double figures with 16 points as WIU held-off a late ISU rally. Steph Reichle led ISU with 14 points. Sharon Blade added 13, while Jaci McCormack had 11 and DJ Flournoy added 10 off the bench. Woods got support from subs Jessica Verhoff with 14 and Kristen Kedzior with 13. Illinois State took a 27-26 lead on two Blade free throws with 4:43 left in the half. Verhoff put WIU back in the lead with a layup and Rita Castans added two free throws to start a 10-0 Westerwinds run capped by Doshia Woods' four-point play to put WIU ahead 36-27. They held that lead at 40-31 at halftime, thanks to Woods' 11 points. Blade had 11 for ISU in the first half and six of here game-high nine rebounds. Western Illinois scored the first eight points of the second half, six by Kedzior, to stretch a 40-31 halftime advantage to 48-31 before ISU scored in the second half. WIU maintained that lead because of red-hot shooting--10 of its first 14 field goals to start the half. "They came out with the same intensity after the half as they finished the first half," said ISU coach Jenny Yopp. "We were in fourth gear instead of fifth gear and that helped them raise our deficit." The Westerwinds, 2-3, beat the Redbirds, 1-4, for the first time in 27 meetings and only the second time in 40 games in the series. Western Illinois' last win over Illinois State was a 73-71 decision Jan. 31, 1979 at Horton Field House. ISU slowly crawled back to within 10 in the second half at 68-58 on a McCormack free throw with 2:57 left and Taren O'Brien hit a three with 2:05 left to close it to 68-61 Westerwinds. Erica Zielinski's free throw put WIU up 69-61 with 1:51 left and another McCormack free throw cut it to 69-62, but ISU got no closer. Still, the comeback pleased Yopp, whose team held WIU to 2-7 from the field down the stretch and forced four turnovers in the final four minutes. "I appreciate our kids sticking with it," said Yopp. "We believed we were still in the game. We just needed some more stops." The Redbirds shot 67 percent on 16 of 24 from the line. WIU hit 18 of 25, including 13 of its first 14 in the game. ISU had 20 turnovers to 16 for the Westerwinds. The Redbirds complete five away contests in their first six games with an afternoon game Saturday at Louisville. -- 30 --