NORMAL, Ill. – Illinois State women's basketball (17-10, 11-5 MVC) takes on its final homestand of the 2024-25 campaign as the Redbirds host UIC (12-13, 9-7 MVC) Thursday at 6:30 p.m. and Valparaiso (11-16, 7-9 MVC) Saturday at 4 p.m. inside CEFCU Arena.
The Redbirds will host Senior Day against the Beacons, with Elyce Knudsen, Lauren Cohen, Caroline Waite and Maya Wong set to be honored prior to the game. Fans can use promo code 'SENIOR25' at goredbirds.com/tickets to get discounted tickets for the final home game of the season.
SERIES HISTORY
The Redbirds lead the all-time series with UIC by a 21-4 margin, including a record of 10-2 inside CEFCU Arena. Illinois State earned a 75-66 win in Chicago Jan. 19 behind 24 points from Elyce Knudsen and 20 points from Maya Wong.
Illinois State has won eight consecutive meetings over Valparaiso, which includes a 79-65 win road win over the Beacons in January. The win streak over Valparaiso stands as Illinois State's third-longest active streak over a current MVC member, behind streaks of 16 wins and 12 wins over Evansville and Indiana State.
SHANNON STAYS HOT
Shannon Dowell is averaging 19.0 points per game and 9.0 rebounds per game on 54.7% shooting from the field and 41.6% shooting from deep over the last four games. She is also averaging 2.8 assists and 1.8 steals per game over that stretch. Across two games last week Dowell put up 20 points per game and 11 rebounds per game, shooting 50% from the field and 70% from deep. With 21 points vs Belmont, Dowell posted her sixth 20+ point outing in MVC play this season. She had 19 points with a career-high 13 rebounds at Bradley Sunday.
Dowell is one of two league players averaging at least 16.0 ppg in MVC play on better than 45% shooting from the field and 35% shooting from deep. (Katie Dinnebier, Drake). She ranks fifth in the Valley averaging 16.5 points per game in MVC play.
THE REDBIRD STATE
Thursday marks the eighth time this season the Redbirds will battle an in-state foe. Since the start of the 2019-2020 campaign, the Redbirds are 41-10 against in-state foes and 23-2 vs in-state foes inside CEFCU Arena. That includes a 6-1 mark against in-state foes this season, which improved the Redbirds to 20-2 against in-state foes over the last three seasons.
The Redbirds have won 13 straight games against in-state foes inside CEFCU Arena.
ROOKIE REJECTIONS
With 28 total blocks this season, Doneelah Washington has the most blocks by a Redbird freshman since 1987. She leads Valley freshmen with 23 blocks in MVC play, which is fifth among all Valley players.
She is one of just three freshmen in program history to tally 20+ blocks in their rookie campaign, which also puts her third on the Redbird freshman single-season block list. Washington is two blocks shy of tying Women's Basketball Hall of Famer Cathy Boswell for second on the program's freshman single season block list.
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