NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State women's basketball team went on a 25-7 run to end Thursday's game, earning a 77-55 win over Jackson State at Redbird Arena in their final home game of 2019. Four Redbirds tallied double figures in the winning effort that drew 2,337 students and fans for Education Day.
Fifth-year senior Lexi Wallen led the 'Birds in both points and rebounds with 21 points and eight rebounds on the day. Megan Talbot contributed 16 points, 13 of which came in the second half, along with five rebounds, three assists and three steals.
Mary Crompton went 5-of-7 from behind the three-point line for the second game in a row, posting 15 points in the win. Freshman McKenna Sims, playing a career-high 27 minutes, also set a new best, going 5-of-8 from the field and finishing with 13 points.
The Redbirds improve to 8-2 with one game left in non-conference play, while the Tigers drop to 1-8. ISU remains a perfect 6-0 at home with today's victory.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Both teams battled back-and-forth, in a game that featured nine lead changes with the score tied on three occasions. After trailing 14-12 in the first quarter, the 'Birds fought to take a three-point lead into halftime. Crompton drained four three-pointers in the first half to total 12 points with Sims recording eight points through the first 20 minutes of play.
The Tigers kept the score close in the third quarter, tying the game twice but never taking the lead. ISU exploded in the fourth quarter to secure their victory, outscoring Jackson State 31-14 and rattling off a 25-7 run to close the game in the final 6:15.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Wallen recorded 17 of her 21 points in the fourth quarter, going 7-of-7 from the floor. She also added a three-pointer in the final quarter, and is 2-of-2 from deep this season.
- Junior Juliunn Redmond led the team in steals for the fourth time this year, posting a new-best with seven steals.
- Paige Saylor played a game-high 37 minutes at point guard, recording eight assists and grabbing four boards.
- The Redbirds combined to shoot a season-best 29-of-54 (53.7%) on the day. ISU shot (14-of-19) 73.7% from the floor in the fourth quarter.
- ISU is now 3-0 when hosting Education Days.
QUOTES FROM COACH KRISTEN GILLESPIE
On Jackson State: "Jackson State is a lot better than their record. I have to give them a ton of credit – they played hard, they're a very physical team, they do a great job of taking out what you want to run and they made some great shots. I think it took us a lot longer to handle their pressure and settle in, but in the second half, specifically the last 15 minutes, we did a much better job."
On how the team has stepped up: "Was this a game that TeTe could have really excelled in because of their press and how she loves to beat people one-on-one? Yes. But this has to give Paige a ton of confidence that no matter who we're playing, what kind of pressure we're facing, that she can initiate the offense. If TeTe was playing, would McKenna get to play 27 minutes? This game will give McKenna a ton of confidence and springboard her into conference play. It stinks having TeTe out, but it's such a great opportunity to help our team become better."
UP NEXT
The team will have a 10-day break between games to celebrate the holidays before heading to Clarksville, Tennessee on Sunday, Dec. 29 to take on Austin Peay in the non-conference finale.
For all latest on Illinois State women's basketball, stay tuned at GoRedbirds.com and follow the team at @RedbirdWBB (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram).
GoRedbirds.com and the Illinois State Redbirds App: Your sources for Illinois State tickets, Weisbecker Scholarship Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.
