Box Score (PDF)
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – The Illinois State women's basketball team led SIUE, 73-67, with 7:58 remaining in the game, but the Redbirds (3-8) went ice cold down the stretch, and the Cougars (4-9) scored the next 19 points to pull away for a 92-80 victory Friday afternoon inside the Vadalabene Center, concluding nonconference play.
Senior Brechelle Beachum poured in a career-high 27 points, including 16 in the third quarter when Illinois State outscored SIUE, 29-27, and knocked down a career-best 11 field goals (on 18 attempts) to go along with four rebounds and a team-high four assists to lead the Redbirds. Sophomore Millie Stevens came off the bench to tally 17 points, which tied a career high, on a career-best seven field goals (on 11 attempts), while senior Taylor Stewart chipped in 11 points, three rebounds and three assists.
Freshman Megan Talbot netted nine points and corralled a team-high six rebounds, and fellow classmate Zakiya Beckles provided a spark off the bench in the first half, as she logged a season-high 18 minutes and manufactured season bests of eight points, two assists and two three-pointers.
A track meet broke out in the first quarter, which set the tone for the game, as both teams ran up and down the court. SIUE struck first, but the Redbirds quickly grabbed a 4-2 lead with back-to-back buckets from Talbot and Beachum. The Cougars responded with six straight and saw their lead see-saw from two to four points.
After a pair of free throws from freshman Morgan VanHyfte sliced the deficit to 12-10, SIUE created some separation with an 8-1 spurt to take its largest lead of the first half, 20-11, with 2:42 left in the opening quarter, before ending the first 10 minutes leading 25-18. The Cougars shot 55.6 percent (10-of-18) in the period.
Things started to turn in favor of Illinois State in the second quarter, as the Redbirds amped up their defensive pressure. A layup from Stevens moved the Redbirds back to within two at 27-25, but SIUE quickly countered with five straight to extend the lead back out to seven nearly halfway through the stanza.
Illinois State still found itself down by seven at 36-29 with 3:07 left before halftime, but the Redbirds made a move. A three from Stewart started an 8-0 flurry and a trifecta from Beachum placed Illinois State back in front, 37-36 at the 1:14 mark. After the home team briefly snagged the lead back, junior Hannah Green drilled a jumper from the free throw line to provide the Redbirds with a 39-38 halftime advantage.
The Illinois State defense limited the Cougars to only 3-of-16 (18.8 percent) from the field in the second quarter, while the Redbirds made 9-of-22 (40.9 percent) shots. Illinois State also outscored SIUE, 21-13.
The Cougars drilled a triple to start the second half, and Stewart answered with one as well from the right corner. Freshman Frannie Corrigan's put-back layup inched the Redbird lead out to three, but SIUE made another one from distance to knot the contest at 44-44.
Beachum then took over the third quarter. She scored the next six points, and a layup from Stevens, who added eight of her own in the period, produced Illinois State's largest lead of the game, 54-46, at the 5:18 mark, which capped a 25-12 run.
The Cougars slowly began to crawl their way back and trimmed the Redbird advantage to 60-59, but Beachum delivered back-to-back three's to stretch the lead back out to seven at 66-59 with 1:26 remaining in the third. However, SIUE netted six of the next eight points to move back to within three, 68-65, after 30 minutes.
Beachum shot 6-of-8 in the quarter and made 2-of-3 from downtown and at the free throw line. Illinois State made 11-of-16 (68.8 percent) during the 10-minute stretch and outscored the Cougars, who shot 60 percent (9-of-15), 29-27.
The fourth quarter started out well for the Redbirds, as Stewart connected on her third triple of the game. After SIUE scored, Beachum converted layup to keep the lead at two possessions, 73-67, with 7:58 remaining.
But that is when the cold stretch hit. Illinois State did not score for the next 6:43, and the Cougars scored 19 points in a row to turn a six-point deficit into a 13-point lead. Beachum broke the drought with a layup with 1:15 remaining, which made the score 86-75, but it was not enough, as SIUE grabbed the victory.
The Redbirds shot 5-of-17 over the final 10 minutes, while the Cougars made 8-of-12 from the field and 10-of-15 from the free throw line.
Illinois State scored a season-high 80 points – the first time the Redbirds have scored 80 or more since scoring 81 in the 2015-16 home opener in against Murray State – made a season-best 31 field goals (on 70 attempts), and their 44.3 field goal percentage was their second highest of the season. Illinois State also made 9-of-25 from behind the arc and 9-of-11 at the line.
SIUE, meanwhile, went to the free throw line 33 times and made 25, while shooting 49.2 percent (30-of-61) from the field, including 7-of-13 from distance. The Cougars also won the rebounding battle, 43-31.
The Redbirds, who have been turning the ball over more often of late, took better care and only gave it up 12 times while forcing 12 miscues. The bench also contributed 27 points.
"I saw some good things on offense, especially because we have been struggling of late, and I thought we moved the ball better at times," head coach Barb Smith said. "We got some great minutes off the bench. We need to have everyone back, and that will help us down the stretch in conference play. I am proud of their fight; they fought until the end."
Five players scored in double figures for SIUE. Donshel Beck led the way with 25 points and seven rebounds, while Lauren White added 20 points and a game-high seven assists. Nakiah Bell scored 12 points and handed out six assists, Amri Wilder chipped in 11 points, and Gwen Adams recorded a double-double of 10 points and a game-high 10 rebounds.
Illinois State will go on another nine-day hiatus, before returning to action New Year's Day when the Redbirds start Missouri Valley Conference play by hosting Bradley, with tipoff slated for 2 p.m. on Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena.
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