Second Half Lifts Redbirds Over Le Moyne, 71-55

NORMAL, Ill. – Illinois State women's basketball (2-1, 0-0 MVC) used a strong second-half effort to earn a 71-55 home-opening win over Le Moyne (0-4, 0-0 NEC) Sunday inside CEFCU Arena.  

HIGHLIGHTS 

• Elyce Knudsen led Illinois State with 15 points in her first appearance in a Redbird uniform. She scored 10-points in the first half and finished with three triples, three rebounds and three assists in the win for Illinois State.  

• The Redbirds finished with four double-figure scorers and tallied 20 assists on 25 made baskets. Addi Martin and Nevaeh Thomas shined once-again in the post, as Martin finished with 14 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 block. Thomas tallied 10 points to go with 7 rebounds and 5 assists.  

• Shannon Dowell scored all 11 of her points in the second half, finishing in double figures for the third-straight game to open the year.  

• After the score was knotted at 30 heading into the locker room, Illinois State outscored Le Moyne 41-25 in the second half to take the commanding victory.  

• The Redbirds used an 8-0 run in the third quarter to grab their first double-digit lead of the game. Dowell and Knudsen knocked down threes and Illinois State led 46-36 at the 4:29 mark of the third. The Illinois State lead grew to 52-40 before the end of the third, as Trista Fayta connected on a transition three with 1:05 to go.  

• It was an 8-0 third-quarter run that ultimately gave Illinois State the cushion it needed to close out the win. The Dolphins knocked down a pair of free throws, before Thomas and Maya Wong connected on a fast break bucket to kick-start to scoring run. Dowell finished through contact and knocked down her free throw for a 64-49 Redbird lead. Freshman Doneelah Washington's basket with 2:21 to go gave Illinois State it's largest lead of the game at 69-52.  

GAME NOTES 

• Illinois State finished with four-plus double-figure scorers for the third-straight game to open the season, which includes five double-figure scorers Tuesday at Saint Louis.  

• The Redbirds improved to 26-5 at CEFCU Arena over the last two seasons. The win marked Illinois State's third consecutive home-opening victory.  

• Maya Wong finished with a season-high 8 assists in the win. She has 5-plus assists in three-straight games to open the year, averaging 6.3 assists per game. 

• Illinois State won the first-ever meeting against Le Moyne.  

GoRedbirds.com and the Illinois State Redbirds App: Your sources for Illinois State tickets, Weisbecker Athletic Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.