ESTERO, Fla. – Illinois State women's basketball (3-3, 0-0 MVC) snapped a two-game skid, earning its largest win of the season 70-49 over High Point (3-5, 0-0 Big South) in the Gulf Coast Showcase at Hertz Arena Saturday.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Addi Martin led Illinois State in scoring for the first time in her Redbird career, pouring in 14 points to go with seven rebounds in the win. She tallied 10 points in the first half to reach double-figures for the fourth time this season. She scored six straight points in the second quarter to lift Illinois State to a 26-15 lead.
- Nevaeh Thomas scored five of 11 points for Illinois State to open the game, finishing with 13 points, four rebounds and a pair of assists. She connected on a three-pointer and drove to the hoop through contact for a quick five points to open the game.
- Doneelah Washington (11 points) and Shannon Dowell (10 points) rounded out the double figure scorers for Illinois State in the win. Washington came off the bench and scored double figures for the second-straight game. She came one rebound shy of her first-career double-double.
- Illinois State jumped out to an 11-0 first-quarter lead and never looked back. The Redbirds led by as many as 28 points, after outscoring the Panthers 28-14 in the third quarter. High Point cut Illinois State's led to as few as six at the end of the first quarter, but Illinois State answered to regain a big cushion.
- The third-quarter run was led by 11 points from Elyce Knudsen, who connected on a second-chance three off a rebound from Savannah McGowan to put Illinois State up 58-30 in the final moments of the third quarter.
GAME NOTES
- Illinois State finished with four-plus double-figure scorers for the second-straight game and the fifth time in six games to open the season. Over the last two seasons, Illinois State has finished with 4+ double-figure scorers in 18 games, and 5+ double-figure scorers in eight games. The Redbirds are 16-4 when putting four-plus players in double-figures since the start of the 2023-24 campaign.
- Two Redbirds who have reached double figures in every game this season, Shannon Dowell and Nevaeh Thomas did so again on Saturday for Illinois State.
- It was Illinois State's largest margin of victory this season, and the first win of the year by 20-plus points.
- The Redbirds improved to 2-0 all-time against current Big South members, joining a win over Radford in 1996.
GoRedbirds.com and the Illinois State Redbirds App: Your sources for Illinois State tickets, Weisbecker Athletic Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.
