Redbird Comeback Falls Short Against Harvard

NORMAL, Ill. – Illinois State women's basketball (2-2, 0-0 MVC) rallied from a 15-point first-half deficit, but ultimately fell to Harvard (7-1, 0-0 Ivy) Sunday 72-62 inside CEFCU Arena.  

HIGHLIGHTS 

• Elyce Knudsen led Illinois State for the second-straight game, pouring in 20 points for the first time in her Illinois State career. She shot 5-for-7 from deep, hitting a trio of threes in the second half. Knudsen also grabbed six rebounds in the effort.  

• Shannon Dowell tallied 15 points for Illinois State, going 6-for-11 from the field. Dowell also tallied 2 rebounds and 1 assist.  

• Nevaeh Thomas added 12 points of her own to go with a game-high 8 rebounds. She was 5-for-8 from the field to go with 2 assists and 1 steal.  

• The Crimson jumped ahead 24-9 in the first quarter, shooting 4-for-8 from behind the arc in the opening frame. Illinois State fought within six at the 6:49 mark of the second quarter off a 9-0 scoring run, but Harvard responded to jumped back in front 33-18. Harvard took a 37-25 advantage into the break.  

• Illinois State used a 10-4 scoring run in the third quarter to cut into the Harvard advantage. Knudsen knocked down a pair of threes, including one at the 3:15 mark that made it a 43-39 deficit for Illinois State. Thomas hit a corner three just before the end of the third to make it a 48-45 game heading into the fourth quarter. 

• Both sides traded blows to open the fourth quarter, before Dowell hit a pair of free throws with 6:13 to go and tied the game at 56. The Crimson scored four unanswered points to lead 60-56 and never looked back. 

GAME NOTES 

• Knudsen scored 15-plus points for the second-straight game to open her Redbird career. After 15 points against Le Moyne Nov. 17, she is averaging 17.5 points per game this season.  

• It marked just the third home loss for Illinois State over the last two seasons. The Redbirds are 15-3 inside CEFCU Arena over the last two seasons and 26-5 since the start of the 2022-23 campaign.  

• Illinois State fell to 0-5 all-time against Ivy League foes, which includes one loss to Yale (2016) and three losses to Princeton (1986, 2012, 2013).  

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