NORMAL, Ill. – Despite a pair of double-double performances by Juliunn Redmond and Lexi Wallen, the 'Birds fell to Bradley, 66-62, on Friday evening at Redbird Arena. Redmond, the reigning Missouri Valley Conference Newcomer of the Week, led the team in scoring with 18 points, while also matching her career-high of 11 rebounds. Wallen had 17 points for the Redbirds, corralling 10 boards.
Illinois State senior TeTe Maggett and junior Paige Saylor also scored in double figures, posting 12 and 10 points, respectively.
Illinois State drops to 13-8 (5-5 MVC) while the Braves improve to 17-4 (8-2 MVC) and remain tied with Drake for second in the league standings.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Wallen opened the game with back-to-back field goals before the Braves responded with four points of their own. A lot of back-and-forth ensued, leading to a 15-15 score line at the end of the first quarter. Senior Megan Talbot grabbed six of ISU's ten rebounds in the first period, with Wallen finishing with six points in the initial ten minutes.
Wallen began the second quarter just as she did the first, hitting two consecutive jumpers to give the 'Birds the lead. ISU's shooting went cold despite the fast start, as those two field goals would be the only of the second quarter for the Redbirds, shooting just 2-of-11 (18.2 percent) from the floor and going 0-of-6 from behind the arc. The Braves finished the half on a 12-2 run, putting them up 34-25 at halftime.
Bradley maintained the lead for the remainder of the game, increasing it to as much as 14 points with 8:46 remaining in the third quarter. The Redbirds did not give up, clawing back and closing the gap to just two points on three occasions in the final quarter, the last being with only 14 seconds remaining in the game. The Braves, who only shot 52.9 percent (9-of-17) from the charity stripe on the game, made them when it mattered as they made six free throws in the fourth period, including two in the final seconds to secure the win with a four-point lead.
Bradley's Lasha Petree finished with a game-high 22 points. Nyjah White (17), Chelsea Brackmann (12) and Gabi Haack (10) joined her in double figures as well.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Redmond recorded her second double-double of the season in today's game, while Wallen picked up the third of her career.
- Redmond has now scored in double figures in eight of the last nine games, and is averaging 13.2 points in MVC play.
- The Braves have now won three-straight regular season games on Doug Collins Court, dating back to the 2017-18 season.
QUOTES FROM HEAD COACH KRISTEN GILLESPIE
On the loss: "We fell behind but fought back and were right there. We could have thrown in the towel but I'm proud of the team for showing some toughness. They are a great team and their top four played outstanding. This is one we want back and I hope we see them in the conference tournament again."
On ISU's shooting: "We went 2-of-19 from three and about 15 of those were good looks. I can't fault our opportunities; our shots just weren't falling today. You also see that we were 12-of-18 from the free throw line - you just can't miss that many free throws, especially in a close game.
UP NEXT
ISU hosts a pair of MVC opponents next weekend at Redbird Arena. The 'Birds tip off versus Loyola Chicago on Friday at 7 p.m. and face Valparaiso at 2 p.m. for the annual Play4Kay game.
For all latest on Illinois State women's basketball, stay tuned at GoRedbirds.com and follow the team at @RedbirdWBB (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram).
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