NORMAL, Ill. - Illinois State Women's Basketball (14-8, 7-5 MVC) returns to CEFCU Arena for the first time in three weeks as the Redbirds host UIC (14-9, 7-5 MVC) Thursday at 6:30 p.m. and Valparaiso (4-17, 3-9 MVC) at 4 p.m. on ESPN+ and the Redbird Sports Radio Network.
SERIES HISTORY
Illinois State leads the all-time series with UIC by a 19-4 margin and a 9-2 mark in Normal. However, the Flames won the most recent meeting back on Jan. 21 in an OT thriller, 86-79. Maya Wong scored 8 points in the final 35 seconds to send the game to overtime, but UIC responded and held on for a win in the extra frame. Wong led Illinois State with 18 points, while Shannon Dowell registered her first-career double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds.
Illinois State has won three of the last four meetings in the series against UIC.
The Redbirds have won the last five meetings over the Beacons and hold a 13-4 advantage in the all-time series. Illinois State earned a win in Valparaiso Jan. 19, behind a 19-point and 12-rebound double-double from DeAnna Wilson. She scored 17 of her 19 points in the second half to lead Illinois State to the win.
Valparaiso shot 4-for-6 from deep in the second quarter to grab a two-point lead over Illinois State at the half. However, the Redbirds outscored Valparaiso 21-12 in the third quarter to take control of the game and never let go.
LAST TIME OUT
Despite a strong second-half effort Illinois State fell on the road Saturday at MVC-leading Drake 79-64 last Saturday inside Knapp Center. Illinois State fell into a 23-point first half deficit that ultimately was too much to climb out of. The Redbirds shot 26.7 percent from the field in the first 20 minutes and trailed 42-20 at halftime.
Three Redbirds scored in double figures, led by Wilson's 18 points, 4 rebounds and 3 steals. Abbie Aalsma turned in her fourth double-figure outing in the last six games, going 3-for-5 from deep for 15 points. Molly Lenz tallied 13 points Saturday, her first-career double figure scoring performance.
THE REDBIRD STATE
Illinois State will take on an in-state foe for the seventh time this season on Wednesday. Illinois State is 5-1 against in-state foes this season, with the lone loss coming at UIC in January. The Redbirds have won 9 straight games against in-state foes at CEFCU Arena.
Illinois State is 11-1 against Land of Lincoln foes over the last two seasons. Since the start of the 2019-2020 campaign, the Redbirds are 32-9 against in-state foes and 18-2 vs in-state foes inside CEFCU Arena.
GOOD AT THE LINE
The Redbirds have made opponents pay at the free throw line this season and that was the case again at Indiana State, where the Redbirds shot 25-for-27 for a season-best 92.6 percent from the charity stripe. In limited attempts at UNI and Drake, the Redbirds went a combined 17-for-18 at the free throw line. That includes a mark of 9-for-9 at UNI. It was the first time this year Illinois State has hit all of its free throws in a single game.
Over the last three games, Illinois State is 42-for-45 at the free throw line.
Illinois State ranks 22nd in NCAA DI with 21.05 free throw attempts per game. Meanwhile, the Redbirds have made good use of their trips to the line, tallying 16.41 made free throws per game. That mark ranks 9th in NCAA DI. For the season Illinois State is shooting 78.0 percent from the free throw line, which ranks 14th in NCAA DI.
ADDING TO HER TOOLBOX
Maya Wong is proving to be more of a scoring threat for the Redbirds this season. After averaging 7.7 points per game last year, she has upped her per-game average to 11.8 points in 22 games this year. Wong has reached double-figure scoring in 14 games this season, which has already surpassed her mark of 10 double-figure scoring games from last year.
Earlier this season she finished in double-figures in four straight games for the first time in her collegiate career, averaging 16.5 points per game over that stretch. Wong posted her first-career 20-point performance with a career-high 23-points in the win over Saint Louis Dec. 19.
She has led Illinois State in scoring six times this season, after leading the Redbirds in that category just one game prior to this year.
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