MEMPHIS, Tenn. – After trailing by 13 at the end of the first quarter, the Illinois State women's basketball team fought back to tie the game twice and led as late as with 3:42 remaining before falling to UT-Martin, 64-59, in the WNIT Memphis Region consolation final. The Redbirds finish the year with a 16-9 overall record while the Skyhawks improved to 22-6.
Sophomore DeAnna Wilson led the 'Birds with 12 points and a team-high seven rebounds. Senior Juliunn Redmond and redshirt sophomore Mary Crompton each finished with 11 points.
Monday's game featured eight ties and four lead changes. UT Martin was led by senior Maddie Waldrop who had 24 points and eight rebounds. Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year Chelsey Perry added 18 points and six boards.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Skyhawks jumped out to an early lead, outscoring ISU 22-9 in the first quarter, shooting 58.3% (7-of-12) from the floor and 75% (3-of-4) from behind the arc.
The Redbirds found their footing in the second period to record a 58.3% clip after only going 3-of-11 (27.3%) in the first quarter. Wilson put up six of her 12 points in the second quarter, with junior Terrion Moore and redshirt freshman Maya Wong each adding five points. The 'Birds finished the half down nine, 36-27.
Back-to-back three-pointers by Crompton and Paige Saylor out of the third quarter media timeout tied the game at 42, before a reverse layup by freshman Kate Bullman under the basket gave ISU its first lead of the game. A back-and-forth battle ensued with quarter ending tied at 48-48 with 10 minutes to play.
ISU hung tough and regained the lead with 3:42 to go at 57-55, but could never get farther than two points away from the Skyhawks before they came roaring back. A lay up by UT Martin's Perry at 1:42 would seal the game as the Skyhawks made five free throws in the final minute and a half to ice the game.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- Redmond recorded five assists for her fifth game this season with 5+ assists.
- ISU converted 11 points off of fast breaks. The Skyhawks were unable to score any in transition.
- The Redbird bench also outscored UT Martin's, 13-2, with ISU owning a 28-24 advantage in points in the paint.
QUOTES FROM HEAD COACH KRISTEN GILLESPIE:
On comeback: "I'm really proud of our kids. For an onlooker, this game probably didn't mean a whole lot, but it meant something to us. I love how we responded after the first quarter, especially coming out of the half. We just fell short. We didn't execute as well as we need--we forgot some plays down the stretch and if you're going to win in March, that can't happen, but it's all part of the process of becoming the March team that we need to be if we're going be a contender."
On season: "I think with each day that passes when I look back and look at the big picture, this was not an easy year. I'm just so proud of what our players were able to overcome. Our staff was absolutely outstanding and everyone just kept showing up and going above and beyond. I am so incredibly thankful for everyone in our program. This season was a big step for our program."
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