The Illinois State womens basketball team dropped its season opener in the Sportsview.tv WNIT to No. 10 Notre Dame 92-73. The Irish upped their home court win streak to 21 games.
Fouls and turnovers told the tale in the opening period as each team tallied 13 fouls at halftime and the two teams compiled a total of 29 turnovers.
In the first half, two quick fouls put All-American Jacqueline Batteast on the bench but the Birds werent able to take advantage as Courtney LaVere picked up the slack, scoring 14 points including six straight points off layups following ISU turnovers. Notre Dame held a 48-32 lead at halftime
The lone bright spot for the Redbirds was senior Katie Donovan, who became just the 20th player in Illinois State womens basketball history to score 1,000 points in her career. She achieved the feat on a free throw to complete a three-point play with 7:32 left in the first half. Donovan scored 18 points in the first half, but no other Redbird contributed more than four points.
Illinois State was the aggressor for most of the second half but it wasnt enough to overcome Notre Dames lead. Junior Holly Hallstrom provided much of the offense for the Redbirds in the early part of the second half, but Hallstrom and Donovan were each whistled for four fouls with over ten minutes left in the game.
Donovan finished the game with 25 points, six rebounds and six assists, while Hallstrom chipped in 23 and had eight rebounds.
Illinois State will have nearly two weeks off before taking on Kansas State in the Junkanoo Jam Tournament in the Bahamas on Nov. 26 at 5 p.m.
