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MOLINE, Ill. – Sophomore Katrina Beck scored 15 of her game-high 17 points in the second half to lead the Illinois State women's basketball team to a 51-44 victory over No. 8 seed Indiana State Thursday in the first round of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament inside the iWireless Center.
Beck also added eight rebounds and made 9-of-10 free throws while knocking down both of her 3-point attempts. Senior Taylor Stewart and sophomore Millie Stevens added nine points, while senior Brechelle Beachum chipped in eight points.
Senior Hannah Green pulled down a team-high nine rebounds and added a team-best three blocks to give her 74 on the season, which moved her into second place on the program's all-time list for most blocks in a season. She needs four more to break the record for most rejections in a season. Green also added three steals.
Stewart also recorded a game-high four steals to tie a career high and added four rebounds and a team-high three assists, while Beachum registered three thefts and five caroms. Stevens also grabbed six boards.
Both sides struggled all night from the field, with the Redbirds (8-22) shooting 31.0 percent (18-of-58), including 4-of-13 from distance and 11-of-16 at the free throw line. The Illinois State defense held the Sycamores (12-18) to 28 percent (14-of-50) shooting from the floor, including 5-of-17 from 3-point range. The 28 percent was a season-best for the Redbirds in field-goal percentage defense. Indiana State also was 11-of-17 from the charity stripe.
Illinois State dominated on the glass, 44-32, and forced 18 turnovers, with 11 coming off steals. The Redbirds gave the basketball up 16 times.
Beck started the scoring in the contest with a pair of free throws, before Indiana State responded with nine in a row to lead 9-2.
A layup from Beachum and a triple from Stewart halted the spurt and brought the Redbirds to within 9-7. Still trailing by two late in the first quarter, Illinois State allowed the final four points of the quarter to enter the second 10 minutes trailing 16-10. The Redbirds shot 16.7 percent (3-of-18) from the floor in the opening stanza.
The Sycamores scored its sixth-straight point to start the second quarter and capped an 8-2 flurry to take their largest lead of the game, 20-12, with 8:12 left before halftime.
Sophomore Viria Livingston's layup then started a string of nine in a row for Illinois State, with a triple from Livingston producing their first lead of the game, 21-20. After Indiana State scored on a free throw to tie the game, Stewart scored on a layup to move the Redbirds back in front, 23-21, which would be the score at the half and extending a 13-3 run. No one scored over the final 4:16 of the first half.
The Sycamores tallied the first four points of the third quarter to regain the advantage, 25-23. But Stewart scored on a layup to knot the contest one final time, which started a 10-0 run, with Beck netting the next eight points to navigate Illinois State ahead, 33-25, with 5:12 left in the period.
The Redbirds, however, did not score the rest of the stanza, but their defense only allowed four points to give them a 33-29 lead heading into the final 10 minutes.
Indiana State cut the lead to 33-31 to start the fourth quarter, but a baseline jumper from Stevens and a triple from Beck stretched the advantage back out to 38-31 with 7:40 to go.
After the Sycamores climbed to within 40-37 at the 4:01 mark, Stevens hit back-to-back jumpers to create separation and start a 7-2 spurt, with a free throw from Livingston moving Illinois State in front, 47-39, with 59 ticks left.
Indiana State crept to within six with 45 seconds remaining, but Beck hit four-consecutive free throws down the stretch to give the Redbirds their largest lead, before the Sycamores hit a meaningless 3-pointer to make the final score, 51-44.
Ashley Taia led Indiana State with 15 points, 10 rebounds and four steals, while Tierra Webb added 14 points. Regan Wentland recorded a game-high six blocks.
Illinois State advances to Friday's quarterfinals and will face No. 1 seed Drake, who is ranked No. 20/19 in the nation. The Bulldogs became the first team in league history to finish the MVC regular season 18-0 and have a 19-game win streak. Tipoff is slated for 12 p.m. inside the iWireless Center.
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