NORMAL, Ill. – Seniors TeTe Maggett and Lexi Wallen lifted the Illinois State women's basketball team to a 83-69 win over Indiana State in their Missouri Valley Conference opener on Friday evening at Redbird Arena.
Maggett had a game-high 27 points, finishing with seven rebounds, seven assists and a steal. Wallen tied a career-high of 26 points, adding eight rebounds, an assist and a block in the victory. Redshirt freshman Mary Crompton also tallied double figures for the 'Birds, posting 13 points.
The Redbirds improve to 9-3 on the year and 1-0 in conference, while Indiana State drops to 2-11 and 0-1.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Redbirds and Sycamores went back-and-forth to start the game, resulting in a 10-9 score at the first media timeout in favor of Illinois State. Maggett hit two three-pointers and tallied eight points in the first quarter, contributing to a 10-2 run to close the period and take a 25-16 advantage into the second period.
Indiana State rallied back, outscoring the 'Birds 22-19 in the second quarter to bring the score within six points at halftime, as Illinois State led 44-38 going into the break. Crompton was 2-of-2 from deep in the second quarter with Maggett and Juliunn Redmond grabbing three boards each.
The Redbirds went through a scoring slump to start the third quarter, with their first field goal not coming until the 6:52 mark. The Sycamores tied the game at 48 before taking the lead for the first time since the opening minutes of the game off of two made free throws by Caitlin Anderson. Their lead would be short-lived, as ISU reclaimed it a little over three minutes later and never relinquished it for the remainder of the game.
Maggett and Wallen were the only 'Birds to score in the third quarter, posting 10 and eight points in the period, respectively. Senior Megan Talbot collected five of her season-high nine rebounds in the third quarter as well.
ISU pulled away in the fourth quarter, outscoring Indiana State 21-15 in the final period to secure their 83-69 conference victory.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Crompton has made at least three three-pointers in the last four games, shooting 54.8% (17-of-31) from behind the arc during that stretch.
- The Redbirds got to the charity stripe a season-high 33 times, converting on 24 attempts (72.7%) as a team. Wallen went 10-13 (76.9%) from the line and Maggett was 7-of-9 (77.8%).
- Redmond set a career-high nine rebounds and finished with eight points.
- Illinois State had a season-low 12 turnovers in the win.
- The 'Birds won their conference opener for the second year in a row
QUOTES FROM HEAD COACH KRISTEN GILLESPIE
On Indiana State: "You have to give Indiana State a ton of credit. They're young and a brand-new team but they played exceptionally hard. What they do, they do very well and we had a lot of trouble guarding them."
On the Wallen/Maggett Combination: "These two are just outstanding. When you have two of the premier players in the league, no matter what's happening on the defensive end you're going to be in the game."
UP NEXT
The Redbirds host Evansville on Sunday at 2 p.m. in Redbird Arena. Fans can take advantage of a BOGO (buy one, get one) ticket deal using the promo code, "GPDAY". Tickets can be purchased in advance at GoRedbirds.com/Tickets, via phone at 309-438-8000, or at the door using the promotional deal.
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.
