NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State women's basketball team had a trio of Redbirds score double-digit points in a 73-48 win over Evansville on Thursday inside Redbird Arena.
Redshirt sophomore Mary Crompton led the scoring efforts, putting in a game-high 14 points for the Redbirds, which improved to 7-3 overall and 4-3 in Missouri Valley Conference action.
Sophomore DeAnna Wilson posted her first career double-double, netting 12 points and grabbing 13 boards in just 17 minutes of action.
Senior Juliunn Redmond closed out the 'Birds in double figures, scoring 11 points on 4-of-8 (50.0%) shooting.
Evansville (4-8 overall, 0-7 MVC) was led by 10 points from Abby Feit and was limited to 18-of-58 (31.0%) shooting by Illinois State.
HOW IT HAPPENED
After being tied at 14-14 following the end of the first quarter, the Redbirds scored the first seven points of the second period, capped by back-to-back buckets by sophomore DeAnna Wilson.
Evansville drew to within two at 23-21 with six minutes to go in the second quarter, but Illinois State closed the first half with a 13-6 spurt, pushing the ISU advantage to 36-27 at the half. The 'Birds were 9-of-11 (81.8%) from the floor in the second quarter.
The 'Birds took the momentum into the third quarter, utilizing an 11-0 burst to go up 47-31 midway through the third quarter before taking a 57-38 lead into the fourth quarter.
Illinois State extended its lead throughout the fourth quarter, taking its largest advantage of the game at 71-44 with 3:18 to play after a three-pointer by sophomore Cameron Call before the final horn.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Senior Paige Saylor chipped in eight points, four assists, and a pair of steals while posting a game-best +21 plus-minus.
- Junior Terrion Moore recorded a career-high six steals, while adding two assists, two rebounds, and a block. Her six steals are tied for the most by an MVC player in a single-game this season.
- Wilson sent an impressive 6-of-6 at the free throw line and the Redbirds were 14-of-18 (77.7%) at the charity stripe.
- The last time the Redbirds had a player with at least 12 points and 13 rebounds (as Wilson did on Thursday) was Feb 20, 2020 at UNI when Redmond scored 13 points and added 13 rebounds.
- Illinois State had just eight turnovers, its lowest since Dec. 20, 2018 in a 72-67 win against Saint Louis when the team had seven.
- The 'Birds outscored the Purple Aces 20-0 on fast breaks.
QUOTES FROM HEAD COACH KRISTEN GILLESPIE
On the win:
"Minus the slow start, I saw a lot of positives and I thought it was a really great team win."
On Moore's performance:
"I thought Terrion Moore was absolutely outstanding defensively. I really compliment her because I know she had six points but her impact on the game has nothing to do with her offensive output. She came to guard and that was phenomenal."
UP NEXT
The 'Birds are scheduled to return to action on Friday with a rematch with Evansville at Redbird Arena in the fourth game of a five-game homestand. The game is set for a 4 p.m. tip-off.
For all the 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.
