DEKALB, Ill. – Despite overcoming a 12-point deficit and pulling within one point late in the second half, the Illinois State (0-1) women's basketball team came up short in its season opener against in-state rival Northern Illinois (1-0), as the Redbirds fell, 55-51, at the Convocation Center. Katy Winge led ISU with 12 points with 10 coming in the first half Friday night.
Winge was 5-of-12 from the field and sank two free throws, while grabbing three rounds and dishing out two assists. Taylor Stewart scored a career-high 11 points, shooting 50 percent from the field. Stewart also dished out five of ISU's seven assists. Stekara Hall and Colleene Smith added nine and seven points, respectively, while Octavia Crump led the Redbirds with seven boards. Zenobia Bess recorded a career-high four blocks to go along with five rebounds.
Illinois State shot 39 percent from the field, while Northern Illinois connected on 32 percent of its shot attempts. The Huskies outrebounded the Redbirds by eight boards, pulling down 44.
"When we really needed stops, we couldn't get stops," head coach Barb Smith said. "We are still trying to figure a few things out on offense, but our defense has to come through. Some players hit big shots, but we didn't have enough offensive power, and it put way too much pressure on our defense. There were good things that happened. I thought Zenobia played a good game, and Taylor did well at the point guard spot."
The two teams traded points early in the opening half, as the Redbirds and the Huskies were tied, 10-10, before Northern Illinois took the momentum, as it scored six-straight points to take a 16-10 lead. Illinois State was held scoreless for over three minutes during the NIU run.
Winge scored back-to-back jumpers to get ISU back within nine, but NIU regrouped and took its largest lead of the half, 30-18, with 3:22 remaining before the break. Winge sparked another run, as she sank a pair of free throws followed by a move by Stewart in the post to pull ISU within eight points, 30-22, at the break.
After the first half, Winge led ISU with 10 points, shooting 4-of-8 from the field. Hall and Stewart both added four points, while Smith pulled down five rebounds. Stewart had ISU's two assists in the first half. Both teams shot 33 percent from the field, while NIU had the advantage on the boards, pulling down seven more than ISU, 25-18.
ISU battled back early in the second half, as it pulled within three points, 32-29, with 16:21 to play. Stewart hit a three from the top of the key to switch the momentum in the Redbirds' favor. It was the first made three of the game by either team. Then, layups by Hall and Bess pulled ISU within three. Both layups were fed by Winge, leaving open looks in the lane.
Despite the Redbird run, Northern Illinois used a 9-3 run to take a 41-32 lead with eight minutes remaining in the contest. During the Huskies' run, the Redbirds were 1-of-8 from the field. Then, Illinois State went to work and chipped away at the Northern Illinois lead, cutting the advantage to one, 47-46, with 3:19 to play off of a three by Hall. Northern Illinois scored six-straight points, but a three in the corner by Mackenzie Freeman brought ISU within two points, 53-51, with 40 seconds left. A pair of Huskie free throws sealed the win for Northern Illinois, as Illinois State fell in its season opener, 55-51.
The Redbirds will be back in action Sunday, as they take on Wisconsin at 4 p.m., in Madison, Wisconsin.
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