Redbirds Fall in MVC Opener at Murray State

MURRAY, KY – Shannon Dowell tied her career high with 28 points, but Illinois State women's basketball (6-6, 0-1 MVC) fell 91-80 Sunday to open Missouri Valley Conference play at Murray State (7-3, 1-0 MVC).  

HIGHLIGHTS 

• Dowell's 28 points were a game-high, as she put up 14 points in both the first and second halves at Murray State. She finished 10-for-17 from the field and grabbed five boards for the Redbirds.  

• Three other Redbirds finished in double figures, as Illinois State put four-plus players in double figures for the tenth time this season. Addison Martin scored 12 of her 14 points in the second half, adding two rebounds, two assists and two steals to the performance. Elyce Knudsen tallied 12 points, while Nevaeh Thomas was two rebounds shy of her third consecutive double-double and finished with 10 points and 8 rebounds.  

• Trailing 24-17 after one quarter, Illinois State used a 20-5 run over the first five minutes of the second quarter to lead 37-29. Maya Wong hit a pair of threes over that stretch, including one at the 7:33 mark that tied the game at 29. Doneelah Washington scored four points before the run was over and Illinois State took its largest lead of the game. Murray State answered but the Redbirds led 45-42 at the break. 

• Dowell scored nine points in the third, but Murray took a 56-55 lead at the 2:52 mark and never surrendered its advantage in the quarter. Murray State stretched its lead to 72-64 in the fourth, before Illinois State stormed back to tie the game at 74 with 5:26 to go. Dowell's old-fashioned three-point-play tied the score heading into the final stretch. Murray State surged however, outscoring Illinois State 17-6 over the remaining five minutes.  

GAME NOTES 

• Illinois State shot 58.9 percent (33-for-56) from the field Sunday, finishing north of 45% from the field for the sixth time in the last eight games. It marked the fourth time this season Illinois State has shot better than 50% from the field in a game.  

• The Redbirds have finished with four-plus double-figure scorers in ten of 12 games to open the season. Over the last two seasons, Illinois State has finished with 4+ double-figure scorers in 24 games, and 5+ double-figure scorers in nine games. The Redbirds are 19-6 when putting four-plus players in double-figures since the start of the 2023-24 campaign. 

• Dowell's performance marked the most points by a Redbird this season and her third performance of 20+ points on the year (23 at Northwestern Nov. 6, 21 vs New Mexico State Dec. 1).  

• It was Dowell's second game this season with 20+ points on better than 55% shooting from the field. She shot 63.6% (7-for-11) in the performance against New Mexico. 

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