NORMAL, Ill. – Lexi Wallen added eight points in the final five minutes to help Illinois State surge past the Sycamores 78-70 on ISU's ninth annual Play 4Kay game.
HOW IT HAPPENED
TeTe Maggett paced the 'Birds to a 36-32 halftime lead with 16 points, shooting 50 percent from floor and knocking down 3-of-4 shots from beyond the arc. The two squads played a close game, tying five times in the first half. Illinois State broke away late in the second as Paige Saylor shined. The sophomore guard forced and Indiana State turnover with 32 seconds on the clock in the second, and took off on a fast break, making a bucket in the paint. Saylor then replicated that same play seconds later, taking off with another steal followed by a bucket. Indiana State drained a three with one second on the clock to tighten the gap to a four-point deficit as the teams entered the locker room.
Illinois State led by 11 with eight minutes to play in the third as Simone Goods added a bucket in the paint, pushing the score to 43-32. The Redbirds were up for the entire third quarter and would not be surpassed by the Sycamores until the fourth. Indiana State went on a 9-0 run to surge past ISU, 62-58 with 6:58 on the clock in the fourth. Lexi Wallen was the saving grace and driving force behind the Redbird offense, adding eight points in the last five minutes of regulation. She was perfect from the line in the last minute, netting 4-of-4 shots. With Wallen paving the way, ISU downed Indiana State 78-70.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Wallen was unstoppable in the fourth quarter, helping ISU get back on track. The senior forward tied her career high of 16 points and grabbed three rebounds.
- Goods tied her personal best, dishing out four assists and contributed 13 points, six rebounds and three blocks.
- Maggett led all scorers today with 26 points, going 4-of-7 from long range. The junior guard also led the team in rebounding today, securing seven.
- The Redbirds were tough on the boards overall, outrebounding the Sycamores 35-24.Â
- The Sycamores were led by the trio of Ashli O'Neal (15), Tamara Lee (15) and Regan Wentland (13).
PLAY 4KAY
With the help from the Bloomington-Normal community the ISU women's basketball team raised $20,000 for the Play 4Kay Foundation.
UP NEXT
The Illinois State women's basketball team will travel to Springfield, Missouri, on Friday, Feb. 15 to face the Missouri State Bears and close out the weekend with a match at Southern Illinois on Sunday, Feb. 17.
GoRedbirds.com: Your online source for Illinois State Athletics tickets, Weisbecker Scholarship Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.
