EVANSVILLE, Ind.  – Mary Sims led the Illinois State women's basketball team with 12 points, but despite the effort, the Redbirds fell to Evansville, 69-52, Sunday at the Ford Center. The 12 points all came in the second half, as Sims connected on three shots from three-point range. Sims just missed a double-double, as she pulled down a career-high nine rebounds.
Katy Winge was the only other Redbird in double figures, as she netted 10 points. Octavia Crump scored five points to go along with five rebounds, while Zenobia Bess led ISU on the boards with seven. Lindsay Smith dished out six assists, setting a career high.
Illinois State (1-23, 1-12 MVC) shot 34 percent from the field, while Evansville (11-13, 6-7 MVC) found the bottom of the net on 42 percent of its shot attempts. ISU had the advantages on the board, grabbing 37, which was two more than UE. The Redbirds handed out 14 assists in the game for a season high.
"We couldn't isolate them, and they kept taking it to the basket," head coach Barb Smith said. "The second half we moved the ball better, but the first half we made it hard for ourselves, and we couldn't find holes against their zone. We are trying to do something, and it didn't come together like we wanted, but hopefully we can do that next weekend in our final weekend at Redbird Arena."
Evansville jumped out to an early advantage, as it took an 8-0 lead, while Illinois State was scoreless for the first five minutes of the game. Then, the Redbirds used a 6-3 run to pull within five points, 11-6, eight minutes into the game. Mackenzie Freeman hit a three from the corner, but Illinois State went the next two minutes without a field goal, as it committed six miscues in four minutes.
The Purple Aces used a 12-4 run to increase their lead to 13 points, 25-12 with 4:32 left in the half. The Redbirds ended a three-minute scoring drought off of a three by Winge in the corner, pulling ISU within 12 points, with 1:56 remaining before the break. Illinois State couldn't score again, as Evansville ended the opening half with a 5-0 run. The Redbirds trailed 32-15 heading into the locker room.
At the break, Winge led the Redbirds with six points, as ISU netted just six field goals in the first half, shooting 23 percent. Evansville sank 39 percent of its field goals, after regrouping from a scoring drought in the middle of the half. The Redbirds outrebounded the Purple Aces by one, pulling down 19 boards, but committed 11 turnovers.
Evansville hit a three to open the second half, taking a 20-point lead, but the Redbirds responded and went to work, using an 11-0 run to cut the Purple Aces' lead to nine, 37-28, four minutes into the half. The offensive momentum didn't last long, as ISU struggled from the field with a five-minute scoring drought.
Then, the two teams traded baskets late in the half, but nine-straight points by Evansville increased the Purple Aces lead back to 20 points, 69-49, with 1:16 left in the game. Taylor Stewart hit a three at the top of the key in the final seconds, but ISU ran out of time and fell, 69-52.
The Redbirds return home Friday for the final homestand of the regular season. ISU welcomes Wichita State Friday at 7:05 p.m., before hosting Missouri State Sunday at 2:05 p.m.
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