NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State women's basketball team travels to San Antonio, Texas, over Thanksgiving break to participate in the four-team UTSA Thanksgiving Classic. ISU plays host UTSA Friday at 4 p.m., before taking on Omaha Sunday at noon.
Shakeela Fowler recorded career-highs with 21 points and six assists, but it was not enough as ISU fell, 74-65, to UIC Monday night on Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena. Fowler came alive in the second half, after posting two points in the first half, but a balanced attack from UIC was too much to handle. Fowler was joined in double figures by Octavia Crump, who scored 12 and grabbed a team-high six rebounds. Katrina Beck scored 11 on 3-of-6 shooting and four free throws, while Viria Livingston had six boards and chipped in four points.
REDBIRDS-ROADRUNNERS SERIES
The game will mark the first meeting between Illinois State and UTSA.
ABOUT UTSA
• UTSA is located in San Antonio, Texas, and has an enrollment of 28,628.
• The Roadrunners are members of Conference USA and finished the 2014-15 season tied for fourth place in the conference.
• The Roadrunners finished 16-15 last season, with a conference record of 11-7.
• UTSA returns two starters and eight letterwinners from last season.
REDBIRDS-MAVERICKS SERIES
The game will mark the second meeting between the two teams. Omaha leads the series, 1-0, with the first meeting taking place on Jan. 11, 1979, at a neutral site. Omaha defeated ISU, 69-51.
ABOUT NEBRASKA-OMAHA
• Nebraska-Omaha is located in Omaha, Nebraska, and has an enrollment of 15,277.
• The Mavericks are members of the Summit League and finished the 2014-15 season seventh in the conference.
• The Mavericks finished 10-18 last season, with a conference record of 5-11.
• Omaha returns two starters and four letterwinners from last season.
FINDING FOWLER
Freshman Shakeela Fowler continues to lead the Illinois State women's basketball team early in the 2015-16 season, as she scored a career-high 21 points in a 74-65 loss to UIC (Nov. 23). The Milwaukee, Wisconsin, native scored 19 points in the second half, including four 3-pointers. Fowler was 8-of-15 from the field and 4-of-6 from beyond the arc. Fowler's previous career-best 18 points came in ISU's 81-76 win over Murray State (Nov. 18). Against UIC, Fowler also tallied a career-high six assists, which bested her previous mark by one. In 33 minutes, the freshman guard had two steals. Fowler has scored in double figures in each game this season, as she averages 16.3 points per game to go along with 12 assists and 10 steals, leading the Redbirds in each category.
BETTER FIRST HALF
The Illinois State women's basketball team struggled in the first half of its 74-65 loss to UIC (Nov. 23). After the first two quarters, the Redbirds committed 14 turnovers and shot 27 percent from the field. Before the break, ISU was 8-of-30 from the field and went 0-of-8 from beyond the arc. Illinois State regrouped at the break, as it connected on 60 percent (15-of-25) of its shot attempts in the final two quarters, committing just eight turnovers in the second half. Despite a strong second half, ISU was unable to battle back, as it fell, 75-65. The Redbirds committed a season-high 22 turnovers, as UIC turned the miscues into 19 points.
WEEKLY HONORS
Illinois State freshman forward Millie Stevens was named the Missouri Valley Conference Newcomer of the Week, the league announced Monday (Nov. 23). Stevens earned the recognition for her performance in ISU's 81-76 victory over Murray State (Nov. 18). It is the first weekly honor for the Redbirds this season. Stevens had a career night in ISU's first win of the 2015-16 season, as she netted 17 points. Stevens connected on 6-of-9 shots from the field and 5-of-6 from the free throw line. The freshman forward led the team in rebounds, with nine, including six offensive boards. The 17 points and nine rebounds both set career highs. Stevens also recorded an assist in a career-high 33 minutes. On the season, Stevens is averaging 10 points per game. She is just one of three Redbirds averaging double figures through three games. Stevens has connected on 50 percent of her shot attempts and leads the team in rebounds, with 6.0 per game.
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