NORMAL, Ill. – DeAnna Wilson tied her career-high with 26 points as Illinois State Women's Basketball (12-6, 5-3 MVC) rode a strong start to beat UNI (5-11, 4-3 MVC) 88-77 Thursday night at CEFCU Arena.
HIGHLIGHTS
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Wilson tallied 26 points to tie her career high for the third time in MVC play this season. She scored 15 points in the second half, and 11 points in the fourth quarter, finishing the night with 8 rebounds, 1 block and 1 steal.
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Kate Bullman scored 12 points in the fourth quarter, and finished with 15 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists for Illinois State. Her three in the fourth quarter helped Illinois State jump back in front by double figures after UNI made a strong push.
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Abbie Aalsma went 3-for-6 from behind the arc and tallied 13 points on the night to finish in double figures for the second-straight game. She hit back-to-back threes that gave Illinois State a 53-40 advantage at the 6:21 mark.
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Shannon Dowell finished in double figures for the sixth time in eight games, tallying 12 points to go with a career-high 5 assists and 3 rebounds in the win.
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The Redbirds jumped out to as high as an 18-point lead in the first half before UNI fought to whittle away at Illinois State's advantage for the rest of the game. The Redbirds scored 15 unanswered points in the first quarter, mounting a 26-9 early advantage. Caroline Waite hit a pair of threes amid the run, as she was one of seven Redbirds who scored in the opening frame.
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Illinois State expanded its lead to open the second, as Dowell hit a pair of free throws to give Illinois State a 32-14 advantage. UNI trimmed the Redbird lead all the way down to eight points, before Illinois State responded to regain a double-digit lead at the break, 43-32.
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Teams traded runs for the entire second half, with UNI cutting its deficit under 10, before Illinois State stretched its lead back to double figures each time. The Panthers were never within a single possession in the second half but did trim Illinois State's lead down to 59-53 in the early moments of the fourth quarter. The Redbirds went on a 5-0 run, highlighted by Bullman's three from the top of the key, to lead 64-53.
GAME NOTES
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It was Wilson's fifth 20-plus point game of the season. She is averaging 17.4 points (5th in MVC) and 7.5 rebounds per game (8th in MVC) since the start of MVC play.
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Illinois State improved to 48-41 overall and 27-16 at home in the all-time series with the Panthers. The Redbirds have won three of the last four meetings, which includes a 2022 bout in the MVC Tournament championship game.
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Illinois State shot season-best marks from the field and free throw line in the win. The Redbirds went 19-21 from the free throw line for a season-high 90.5 percent. It is the first time this season Illinois State has shot north of 90 percent from the free throw line in a single game. Illinois State shot 57.7 percent from the field, which ties their season best set in the opener at Omaha Nov. 6. The Redbirds shot 9-for-19 from behind the arc for 47.4 percent, which is second this season behind a 12-for-22 (54.5%) effort Nov. 19 vs Saint Francis.
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Illinois State moved to 8-1 on the year at CEFCU Arena.
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Aalsma has reached double-figure scoring in back-to-back games for the first time in her career.
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