MOLINE, Ill. – Despite 13 points from both Paige Robinson and DeAnna Wilson, Illinois State saw their MVC Hoops in the Heartland run come to an end in the semifinals, falling to Drake 74-54 Saturday.
Robinson would play 34 minutes on Saturday, as she went 3-of-14 from the field but would knock down all six of her free throw attempts. As for Wilson, the senior played 28 minutes and would be one rebound short of her eighth double double this season (13 points, 9 rebounds). Finally, junior Kate Bullman was the only other Redbird in double figures as she chipped in 10 points over 32 minutes of action.
The Bulldogs saw three athletes go for double figures, led by Maggie Bair's 19 points, including 2-of-5 from three-point range. Along with Bair, Grace Berg went for 16 points and Courtney Becker chipped in 13 points.
HOW IT HAPPENED
As Illinois State scored the game's first four points, Drake responded to score 13 of the next 15 points to take a 13-6 lead with 5:41 remaining in the first. The Bulldogs kept the pace rolling as they would outscore ISU 9-3 over the remainder of the first quarter, leading 22-9 after the first 10 minutes.
The next three quarters did not see Drake's lead drop below double figures, as they would lead by 23 at multiple moments to put the game out of reach for the regular season co-champions.Â
IN THE BOX SCORE
- Drake finished 10-of-16 from three-point range Saturday
- The Bulldogs finished with 19 assists on 24 made field goals on the afternoon.
- Illinois State saw 14 of their 20 free throw attempts Saturday fall.
- Illinois State improves to 27-27 all-time in the Valley Tournament with today's result.
UP NEXT
The 'Birds await their postseason fate as Selection Sunday takes place tomorrow. The Redbirds secure an automatic berth to at least the 2023 WNIT following their regular season finish.
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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