Kiwana Battle made 10 of 11 field goals, scoring a career-high 24 points and blocked six shots as Indiana State held-off a late Illinois State surge to beat the Redbirds 76-67.
The Redbirds 3-13, 1-6, were led by
Jaci McCormack with 15 points,
Shandeen Hunt with 13 and
Kellie Johnson had 11.
Indiana State, 5-11, 2-5, was shooting 43 percent for the season before Saturdays game, but, with Battle hitting 6 of 7 in the first half, lit-up the nets for 55.8 percent against the Redbirds, including 61.5 percent on 16 of 26 in the first half. Celeste Hlebovy had 15 points and Kourtney Mennen added 14 to back Battles total.
Battle and Indiana States shooting impressed Illinois State coach
Jenny Yopp.
Boy did Indiana State shoot it today, said Yopp. And Battle was a force, both at the offensive end and at the other end, blocking our shots.
The Redbirds managed just seven points in the first eight minutes of the second half as Indiana State expanded the lead to 59-42 with eight minutes left before the Birds got rolling.
McCormack hit a pair of free throws, then stole the ball on back-to-back Sycamore possessions setting up her own layup and one by
Steph Reichle. That keyed a 13-2 run which cut Indiana States lead to 63-55.
The Birds sliced the lead to six at 69-63 on
Nadia Peruchs basket with 1:33 left. But the Sycamores drained the shot clock, got an offensive rebound and a time out to avoid a held ball, then finished that possession with a three-point basket by Shameka Robinson--her only basket of the game--to ice the game.
As we have recently, we fought back in the second half, but it was too little, too late, and Indiana State made the plays they had to down the stretch to win, said Yopp. We have to learn to figure things out less than 32 minutes into the game.
The Redbirds took a 5-4 lead in the first three minutes on Shandeen Hunts three-pointer, but Mennen answered with a three and Kristin Stewart followed with a four-foot jumper to give the Sycamores a 9-5 lead.
McCormack came off the bench to hit a pair of three-point field goals and a conventional three-point play to put ISU ahead 16-11 with 13:43 left.
Four free throws and two three-point baskets helped the hot-shooting Sycamores stretch the lead to 35-24 with 4:45 left in the half. Hunt stopped the run with a 24-foot, banked-in three-pointer with 4:15 left. But the Sycamores maintained eight- and 10-point leads the rest of the half as Battle scored 14.
