Redbirds Run Away From Salukis in Round 1 at MVC Tournament

EVANSVILLE, IN – No.5 seed Illinois State women's basketball (21-10, 14-6 MVC) used 20-point efforts from Shannon Dowell and Caroline Waite Thursday to run away from Southern Illinois (4-26, 2-18 MVC) 88-48 in the opening round of the Credit Union 1 MVC Women's Basketball Tournament at the Ford Center in Evansville, Ind.  

Illinois State advances to play No.4 seed Drake Friday afternoon at 2:30 p.m. CT.

HIGHLIGHTS 

• Dowell outscored the Salukis in the first half, pouring all 23 of her points in the opening 20 minutes. She was 6-for-10 from the floor and 11-for-11 from the free throw line. Dowell added four rebounds and 2 assists to the performance.  

• Waite was 6-for-7 from deep, scoring 20 points in the win. She knocked down five of her six threes in the second half, going 4-for-5 to help the Redbirds extend the lead over Southern Illinois.  

• Nevaeah Thomas also reached double-figures with 12 points. It marked the 26th time this season she has reached double figures for Illinois State.  

• The Redbirds outscored the Salukis 27-9 in a dominant second quarter led by Dowell. She put up 12 points in the second frame alone, including a bucket at the 6:02 mark that gave Illinois State a 20-point lead for the first time at 32-12.  

• Thomas scored six points in the third quarter, including four-straight Redbird points to help Illinois State build a 59-31 lead at the 4:28 mark of the quarter. Waite knocked down her third three of the game at the 3:10 mark of the third, as Illinois State jumped ahead 65-32.  

• Waite didn't slow down in the fourth, hitting three more deep balls and moving north of 20 points for the second time this season.  

GAME NOTES 

• Illinois State improved to 4-4 all-time as a No.5 seed at the MVC Tournament in the program's fourth-ever appearance seeded fifth in the MVC. 

• With the win Illinois State improved to 9-1 this season against in-state foes and 23-2 against in-state teams over the last two seasons. Since the start of the 2019-2020 campaign, the Redbirds are 44-10 against in-state foes and 24-2 vs in-state foes inside CEFCU Arena.   

• Thursday marked Illinois State's 29th all-time win at the MVC Tournament, which ranks third among active MVC teams behind Missouri State (51) and Drake (53). The Redbirds improved to 29-27 as a program at the MVC Tournament. 

• It marked Illinois State's 70th all-time win over Southern Illinois, in a series the Redbirds lead 70-46 overall and 6-4 at the MVC Tournament. Illinois State won its eighth straight meeting over the Salukis, which is tied for the program's fourth longest active win streak over a current Valley foe. (Including postseason) 

• Shannon Dowell surpassed 500 points for the season, becoming just the third player in program history to score 500 points in a season as a freshman or sophomore. She joined Percy Family ISU Athletics Hall of Famers, Cathy Boswell and Kristi Cirone as the only players in program history to accomplish that feat.  

• Illinois State's 40-point margin of victory is the third largest in tournament history, and the most in program history at the MVC Tournament.  

• Waite's mark of 85.7% from deep ranks fourth in MVC Tournament history (Min. 5 attempts) and first in program history at the MVC Tournament. It marked her second game with season with 6+ threes, joining a performance of seven three pointers Dec. 5 vs Saint Francis.  

• Illinois State shot 31-55 (56.4%) from the field in the win, shooting north of 50% in a single game for the 14th time this season. It marked the 12th time the Redbirds have shot 50% or better from the floor against an MVC opponent this season.  

• The Redbirds limited Southern Illinois to just 48 points, which is the lowest for a Redbird opponent this season.  

GoRedbirds.com and the Illinois State Redbirds App: Your sources for Illinois State tickets, Weisbecker Athletic Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.