NORMAL, Ill. – Illinois State Women's Basketball overcame the 4-1 MVC Salukis in the final minutes of the game, defeating Southern Illinois 49-46.
HOW IT HAPPENEDÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
Southern Illinois opened the game with a 9-0 run, to quickly pull a strong lead. Paige Saylor put the Birds in the game with a 3-point shot with 5:33 on the clock. Megan Talbot was fouled and went 2-for-2 at the charity stripe to tighten the gap by four points. The Redbirds couldn't find a shot in the last four minutes and the Salukis took advantage. At the end of the first quarter, Southern led 13-6.
Viria Livingston opened the second quarter with two free-throw shots for the Birds to trail 13-8. Salukis got held up by the Redbird defense and Livingston connected with Hannah Green to put up another two for the Birds to trail 13-10. Abby Brockmeyer responded with a layup for the Salukis to lead 15-10, but the Redbirds fired back with a quick 5-0 run to tie the game with 7:24 on the clock in the second. Redbirds would tie the Salukis again in the second, but couldn't find their way on top. Southern Illinois led at halftime 31-26.
The Redbirds got behind by as much as 10 points in the third, but battled in the final minutes to trail 34-30.
Illinois State narrowed in on the Salukis with 4:55 left to play in the game as Saylor was fouled on her layup and was good for one at the line to trail 38-37. The Redbirds got caught in foul trouble and sent Nicole Martin to the line for SIU. She went 1-for-2 and the Salukis remained on top 39-37 with 3:49 remaining. The Redbirds found themselves in the lead for the first time as Saylor responded with a 3-pointer and the Birds never looked back. The Salukis attempted a late comeback as Mackenzie Silvey took off on a fast break and tightened the score to 47-46. The team fouled the Redbirds in desperation to spare time, but Katrina Beck netted both free-throws with ease to keep the Birds in the lead 49-46 with 15 seconds remaining. Southern attempted a jump shot at the buzzer and fell short, resulting in a 49-46 Redbird victory.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Talbot led with a double-double today adding 12 points and grabbing 12 rebounds. The sophomore forward also denied two shots.
- Saylor went 2-for-3 at the 3-point range today, improving to 4-for-5 over the weekend. The freshman added 10 points and three assists to aid the Redbirds to victory.
- Beck added 13 points, nine rebounds, two steals and two assists for the Birds.
- Green remains the blocking machine, denying four SIU shots today. The senior forward also added seven rebounds and six points.
- Martin and Brockmeyer led for the Salukis with 11 and 10 points respectively.
- Brockmeyer is ranked third in the Valley, averaging 7.4 rebounds per game. The Redbirds held her to four today.
STAT OF THE GAME
- Megan Talbot tied her career high today with 12 rebounds. This was also her first double-double of the season.
What's Next
The Redbirds travel to Indiana next weekend for a pair of MVC games as they take on Evansville on Friday and Indiana State on Sunday.
