Feb. 23, 2014
Final Stats
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - The Illinois State women's basketball team (8-16, 7-7 MVC) sank 25 free throws in the second half on its way to a 66-57 victory over Missouri State (12-14, 7-8 MVC) Sunday at JQH Arena. For the game, the Redbirds shot 28-of-39 from the free throw line, setting a season-high made free throws. The free throws helped ISU score 44 second-half points, the most points scored by ISU in a half this season.
Lindsay Smith, who shot a perfect 10-of-10 from the free throw line, scored a career-high 15 points all coming in the second half. Chloe Nelson also netted 15 points, while Katy Winge added 11 points, shooting 5-of-8 from the field. ISU was led by Octavia Crump on the boards, as she pulled down seven. Crump and ISU grabbed 43 rebounds, nine more than MSU.
"Missouri State was outworking us in the first half, and we came out after halftime and turned it up," head coach Barb Smith said. "We never looked back. We were getting the ball inside and getting fouled, and we finished it at the free throw line."
Illinois State jumped out to an early lead, opening the game with a 9-0 run three minutes into the contest. Missouri State scored six-straight points, as the Redbirds were scoreless for nearly three minutes, but a jumper by Stekara Hall ended the streak with 14:16 remaining in the first. ISU went on a short run, but a five-minute drought allowed MSU to go on a 12-0 run, taking its first lead of the game, 18-14, with 6:13 to play before the break.
Three-straight points by Nelson tied the game, 18-18, at the 5:36 mark. Then, Winge had the last four points for ISU, but the Lady Bears ended the half on a 9-4 run. The Redbirds headed into the locker room trailing by five, 27-22.
At the half, Winge led Illinois State with seven points, shooting 3-of-5, while Nelson added five and Hall scored four. ISU connected on 35 percent of its shot attempts, while MSU shot 26 from the field. The difference in the first half came at the free throw line. The Lady Bears were 10-of-13 from the charity stripe, while the Redbirds sank 3-of-9. ISU had a slight advantage on the boards, pulling down 22, one more than MSU.
The Redbirds had the momentum at the start of the second half, as they used a 12-1 run to regain the lead, 36-30, with four-straight points coming from Crump, at the 12:54 mark. MSU was scoreless for over five minutes, as ISU went on the run that included nine-straight points. The Lady Bears completed successful back-to-back and-one plays, but four-straight points by Alison Seberger gave Illinois State a 45-39 lead with 8:29 remaining in the contest.
Illinois State took a 13-point lead, 56-43, at the 4:31 mark with nine-straight free throws, as Nelson and Smith both connected on four during the string of shots from the charity stripe. Then, the momentum favored Missouri State, as the Lady Bears scored six-straight points to get within six, 58-52, with 1:44 left to play, but late free throws secured the 66-57 win for the Redbirds.
ISU returns to Doug Collins Court for the final homestand of the conference season, as it hosts Bradley Thursday at 7:35 p.m.
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