NORMAL, Ill. – Illinois State Women's Basketball has unveiled its 2024 non-conference schedule, a slate that includes four contests inside CEFCU Arena.
"Once again, we feel like we have put together a non-conference schedule that will both challenge us and prepare us for conference play," Illinois State head coach Kristen Gillespie said.
Illinois State will take on cross-town foe Illinois Wesleyan in exhibition play for the second straight year in preparation for the regular season. That matchup is set for Oct. 27 at CEFCU Arena.
The Redbirds open with a two-game road swing at Northwestern November 6 and at Saint Louis November 12. Illinois State and Northwestern will meet for the first time since 2012, in an all-time series that Illinois State trails 6-9. Meanwhile, the Birds and Billikens are set to matchup for the fourth straight season, after Illinois State took down Saint Louis 87-81 at CEFCU Arena last season.
The home slate opens with two first-time opponents for the Redbirds. Le Moyne visits November 17 while Harvard comes to town one-week later November 24.
The Redbirds will then battle Boise State in the opening round of the Gulf Coast Showcase November 29 in Fort Myers, Fla. The remaining field features West Virginia, High Point, Butler, Santa Clara, Texas and New Mexico State.
Following the Thanksgiving holiday the Redbirds will meet again with three foes from their 2023-2024 campaign. Illinois State is set to take on NAIA foe Saint Francis (Ill.) Dec. 4 for its annual Education Day game, followed by a pair of road contests at Marquette Dec. 8 and at Chicago State Dec. 15.
The Redbirds host UAB to close the non-conference schedule Dec. 20, in just the second meeting between the two programs and the first since 2010.
The Redbirds are coming off a WNIT Super 16 appearance last year under Gillespie, which marked the program's fourth-straight bid in the postseason. Illinois State earned a 20-win campaign for the second-straight season, the first time since 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 that Illinois State has secured 20-win seasons in consecutive campaigns.
All-MVC Freshman Team selection Shannon Dowell and veteran point guard Maya Wong return for the Redbirds this season. Meanwhile former NCAA Division III National Player of the Year Elyce Knudsen (Millikin), Addi Martin (Abilene Christian) and All-MVC Freshman team selection Nevaeh Thomas (Evansville) transferred to Illinois State for the upcoming campaign.
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