NORMAL, Ill. – Illinois State Women's Basketball (15-8, 8-5, MVC) used a 15-2 fourth quarter run to secure a 64-61 win over UIC (14-10, 7-6 MVC) Thursday inside CEFCU Arena and improve to 10-1 on the season at home.
HIGHLIGHTS
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Illinois State trailed 59-49 with 4:42 to go in the fourth quarter before catching fire and pulling ahead for the win. Maya Wong's go-ahead three pointer with 16 seconds left gave Illinois State its first lead at 62-59. The Redbirds led for just 17 seconds in the win but pulled out a victory.
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DeAnna Wilson led Illinois State with 14 points, 4 rebounds and 1 block in the win. She scored 8 of her 14 in the second half as Illinois State fought to stay alive.
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Maya Wong and Shannon Dowell both finished with 12 points in leading the comeback effort for Illinois State. Wong scored 9 points in the fourth quarter while Dowell tallied 8 points in the final frame.
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The Redbirds shot 5-for-11 (45.5%) from deep in the first half but still trailed the Flames 33-29 at the break. Aalsma led Illinois State with 8 points on a 2-for-3 clip from beyond the arc. Led by Aalsma, four different Redbirds connected from deep in the first as Maya Wong, Caroline Waite and Daijah Smith also hit.
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Aalsma's hit from deep to level the score at the 6:41 mark of the second, but UIC went on a 9-0 run to grab its largest lead of the first half at 32-23.
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The Flames opened the second half on a 6-2 run that put UIC back ahead eight at the 6:57 mark of the third. UIC stretched its lead to double figures for the first time in the third quarter.
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Illinois State pulled within two possessions multiple times in the second half, but it wasn't until the 4:42 mark of the fourth that momentum fully swung the Redbirds way. Dowell scored 6 straight points that tied the game at 59 with 1:19 to go. Fellow freshman Brooke Coffey then chased down Dais'ja Trotter to keep the score tied in what was a game-changing play. Moments later, Wong connected from deep for the second time in the fourth to put Illinois State ahead by three with 16 seconds left on the clock.
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Dowell, who went 6-for-6 from the line in the fourth quarter, hit a pair of free throws that capped off the comeback for Illinois State.
GAME NOTES
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Wilson finished with her 16th double figure outing of the season and her 10th in Valley play. She has finished in double figures in five of Illinois State's last six games.
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Illinois State shot 10-for-20 from behind the arc, the sixth time this season the Redbirds have finished with 10-plus threes in a single game.
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Illinois State improved to 6-1 this season against in-state foes. It was the program's 10th straight win over an in-state foe at CEFCU Arena. The Redbirds are 33-9 against in-state foes and 19-2 vs in-state foes inside CEFCU Arena since the start of the 2019-2020 campaign.
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