Redbirds Catch Fire Late in Win Over Aggies at Gulf Coast Showcase

ESTERO, Fla. – Led by a 20-point second-half effort from Elyce Knudsen, Illinois State women's basketball (4-3, 0-0 MVC) pulled away late for an 82-66 win over New Mexico State (4-3, 0-0 C-USA) in the Gulf Coast Showcase at Hertz Arena Sunday to close a 2-1 trip in Florida. 

HIGHLIGHTS 

• Knudsen caught fire late in the third quarter for the Redbirds, scoring 18 points over the final 11 minutes and 6 seconds of the game. She finished with 23 points, a high for her Redbird career, marking her second 20-point performance in just five appearances in the season. Knudsen was 9-for-13 from the field and 3-for-5 from deep in the win.  

• Shannon Dowell joined Knudsen with her second 20-point performance of the season, tallying 21 points on 7-for-11 shooting from the field. Dowell, who scored 11 points to lead Illinois State in the first half, also grabbed team-high 6 rebounds in the win.  

• Addi Martin and Nevaeh Thomas led Illinois State in the post, reaching double figures with 12 points and 10 points respectively.  

• Illinois State trailed 46-45 before outscoring New Mexico State 8-0 to close the third quarter. Knudsen connected on a corner three to put Illinois State ahead 50-46, before finishing through contact and hitting a free throw for a 53-46 lead heading into the fourth quarter.  

• Knudsen opened the fourth with seven more points, scoring 12-straight for Illinois State. Her jumper at the 8:43 mark of the fourth put Illinois State up 60-51.  

• The run continued and Illinois State ran its lead to as many as 16 in the fourth, doing so for the first time off a bucket from Martin with 2:42 to go.  

GAME NOTES 

• Illinois State finished with four-plus double-figure scorers for the third-straight game and the sixth time in seven games to open the season. Over the last two seasons, Illinois State has finished with 4+ double-figure scorers in 19 games, and 5+ double-figure scorers in eight games.  

• Knudsen and Dowell are the first pair of Redbirds to tally 20-plus points in the same game since Dowell (25) and Maya Wong (20) did so Feb. 29 at Southern Illinois last season. 

• Illinois State won its first-ever meeting against the Aggies.  

• The Redbirds' 82 points marked a season-high in the win and just the second time this season Illinois State has tallied 80-plus points.  

• Illinois State shot season-bests of 59.6 percent (28-47) from the field and 80 percent (20-25) from the free throw line in the win.  

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