NORMAL, Ill. – Illinois State went back-and-forth with in-state foe Eastern Illinois before a 14-2 run late in the fourth quarter propelled the Redbirds to a 64-46 win over the Panthers (1-8, 0-0 OVC) on Sunday afternoon at CEFCU Arena. With the victory, the Redbirds (5-5, 0-1 MVC) snapped a four-game losing streak.
HOW IT HAPPENED
• After Illinois State's Addison Martin scored the first bucket of the game, Eastern Illinois went on a 7-0 run to go up by five with 6:45 left in the first quarter.
• Zanyra Adams scored four straight points to bring the Redbirds within one.
• Doneelah Washington then snagged her second steal of the game and passed the ball to Trista Fayta, who drew a shooting foul on her way to the hoop. Fayta made the two subsequent free throws to give the Redbirds an 8-7 lead with 5:19 left in the first period.
• It was a stagnant rest of the quarter offensively for both squads, with the score knotted at 11 after the first 10 minutes.
• Kya Hurt's triple early in the second period gave the Redbirds a three-point lead, their biggest advantage of the game up to that point.
• A 9-0 ISU run, highlighted by a layup and three-pointer from Jaeden Pratt, along with a four-plus minute scoring drought by the Panthers, forced EIU to call a timeout with 2:15 left in the first half.
• EIU responded strong after the timeout, scoring the final six points of the half.
• Seven different ISU players recorded a basket in the first 20 minutes of play, as the Redbirds led the Panthers, 25-23, at the break.
• ISU opened the third quarter on a 5-0 run, including a layup by Washington and three-point play from Fayta, to extend its lead to seven.
• The Panthers cut their deficit to four, but ISU responded with a 12-0 run, highlighted by back-to-back triples from Bella Finnegan and Pratt.
• Ten points off the bench, including a seven-point third quarter from Pratt, helped the Redbirds take a 46-33 lead into the final period.
• The Panthers began the fourth quarter on an 11-4 run to cut the ISU lead to six with 4:32 left in the contest.
• The Redbirds answered with a 14-2 run over the final four minutes and 12-0 burst in the final 3:19 of the game to clinch the 64-46 win.
HIGHLIGHTS
• Pratt led the Redbirds with a career-high 15 points, going 6-for-7 from the field and 2-for-3 from behind the arc… she also added nine rebounds for a near double-double performance. This is the first time this season Pratt has led the team in scoring.
• Washington nearly recorded a triple-double with 10 points, nine rebounds and a career-high seven steals. Washington's seven steals are the most for a Redbird since Terrion Moore had seven against Loyola Chicago on March 5, 2021.
• Martin continued her streak of scoring in double figures in each game this season with 10 points...she also added eight rebounds, four assists and two steals.
• Fayta matched a career-high with seven boards.
• ISU's nine turnovers mark its lowest total in a game this season.
• ISU featured a new starting lineup for the first time this season, as Kya Hurt and Zanyra Adams each earned their first career start at the NCAA DI level.
• ISU has now won 16 straight games against in-state foes at CEFCU Arena and holds a 25-2 record against in-state opponents at CEFCU Arena since the 2019-20 campaign.
UP NEXT
The Redbirds will hit the road for a matchup against undefeated Big Ten member Nebraska on Sunday, Dec. 14, with tipoff set for 11 a.m. or noon inside Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Neb.
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