NORMAL, Ill. – On a day where emotions were at an all-time high as part of Illinois State's Senior Day, it would be the Redbirds ending their home slate of the regular season with a season sweep of Valparaiso, by a final of 78-49 Saturday afternoon.
Senior DeAnna Wilson led all Saturday scorers with 20 points as she nearly missed her eighth double-double of the season, finishing with nine rebounds as well. Graduate guard Mary Crompton chipped in 16 points for the Redbirds while redshirt junior Maya Wong finished the night with 13 herself.
The Beacons saw Ali Saunders end the night with a team-high 12 points with teammate Jayda Johnston chipping in 10 points as well for the visitors.
As the regular season heads to its final week, Illinois State remains in a tie for first place alongside Belmont as the programs sit at 15-3 in MVC play this season. For Valparaiso, they see themselves now sitting at 7-20 overall and 5-13 in MVC play.
SENIOR HIGHLIGHT
DeAnna Wilson finished the night with 20 points, 9 rebounds, two assists, and two steals. The Saint Louis native would shoot 6-of-9 from the free throw line as well in Saturday's game.
Hannah Kelle could not muster any points, but still made herself known on the glass as the Lincoln native grabbed seven rebounds. Along with her seven boards, Kelle notched one steal Saturday.
Jada Stinson got into the score column for the Redbirds Saturday, going for six points off 2-of-6 shooting from behind the arc. The Fayetteville, N.C. native also chipped in two rebounds and four assists on the night.
Mary Crompton went for 16 points, including 3-of-9 from three-point range, as well as 7-of-9 from the charity stripe. The Iowa City native also grabbed four rebounds and two assists in her final regular season game at CEFCU Arena.
Finally, Paige Robinson would barely miss double digits as she went for 9 points. The Bethany native chipped in six rebounds, one assist, and one steal. Â
IN THE BOX SCORE:
- Illinois State held 30 points off 16 Valparaiso turnovers Saturday
- Illinois State went 17-of-24 from the free-throw line
- ILS held 12 assists on 25 made field goals Saturday
- Every Redbird who touched the floor notched at least one stat element (point, steal, rebound, assist, or block).
UPÂ NEXT
The 'Birds begin the final road trip of the regular season when they head to Evansville to face the Aces. Tip-off from Meeks Family Fieldhouse is slated for 6:00 p.m. between the Aces and Redbirds.
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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