NORMAL, Ill. – Illinois State women's basketball (22-12, 14-6 MVC) and Abilene Christian (22-12, 9-7 WAC) meet for the first time ever Thursday in the WNIT Super 16 inside Shirk Center on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University.
The winner advances to take on Lindenwood or Louisiana Tech in the WNIT Great 8. Time date and location of that contest are still to be determined.
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
- Tickets are on sale now at goredbirds.com/tickets and are $12 for the general public and $7 for students and youth. All fan seating will be general admission. Ticket purchases via credit card will be accepted on site.
- Parking is located east of Shirk Center or across the street from Shirk Center.
- Fans can enter Shirk Center at the main entrance on Emerson Street or the east entrance off the east parking lot.
- Doors open at 5 p.m., with tipoff set for 6:30 p.m.
- Fans unable to attend the game can listen on WJBC 1230 AM, the Varsity Network, and on GoRedbirds.com., or stream the contest live on YouTube.
POSTSEASON STAPLE
Illinois State earned its fifth-straight postseason bid under head coach Kristen Gillespie, which includes a trip to the 2022 NCAA Tournament. It marks just the second time in the NCAA era (1981-82 to pres.) that the program has earned a postseason bid in at least five consecutive seasons.
In the longest consecutive postseason stretch in the program's NCAA history, Illinois State earned seven-straight bids from 2007 to 2013. That included a 2008 appearance in the NCAA Tournament, one of six in the history of the program.
WNIT HISTORY
Illinois State makes its 16th appearance all-time in the WNIT and its fourth trip to the WNIT in Gillespie's tenure. The Redbirds have earned a WNIT bid for the third consecutive season.
Illinois State is 17-10 overall in the WNIT since 2000, which includes a win over Charleston last season inside CEFCU Arena that booked a trip to the 2024 WNIT Super 16. The Redbirds are 14-3 at home in the WNIT since 2000, as this year marks the second-straight season the Redbirds hosted postseason basketball at CEFCU Arena.
HISTORY MAKERS
Shannon Dowell's 28 points and Elyce Knudsen's 23 points against Western Illinois combined for the most points by a two Redbirds in a single game in postseason program history. That includes both NCAA Tournament and WNIT contests. The 51 total points tied Char Govan (33 points) and LuAnna Robinson (18 points) who combined for 51 points in a 1990 WNIT win over Maine. Dowell's performance is tied for second in postseason program history for single-game scoring and ranks behind only Govan.
E FROM DEEP
With a career-high 81 threes this season Elyce Knudsen has climbed into the top three of Illinois State's single season three pointer list. She is one of just three players in program history to knock down 80+ threes in a single season, joining Mary Crompton (86, 2022-23) and Katie Broadway (89, 2011-12)
Knudsen is nine threes away from breaking the program's single-season three point record and would become the first player in program history to make 90+ threes in a single season.
SHANNON SCORING MARK
Shannon Dowell's 576 points this season ranks sixth on the program's all-time single season scoring list. She is three points shy of climbing into the top five for a single season in program history, which would surpass Katie Donovan's mark of 578 in 2005-06. Kristi Cirone's 657 points as a senior in the 2008-09 season is the all-time Redbird single season leader.
Dowell is the 16th player in program history to score 500+ points in a single season and the fourth player to do so under Kristen Gillespie. She is just the third Redbird in program history to score 500 points in their freshman or sophomore season, joining Hall of Famers Kristi Cirone (2005-09) and Cathy Boswell (1979-83) as the only Redbirds in program history to accomplish that feat.
MAYA MILESTONES
Maya Wong is expected to make her 133rd career start Thursday, which will set a program record and surpass Maggie Krick's previous mark from 2006-10.
Wong is already the program's all-time leader with 156 career games played and ranks second with 388 career free throws and fifth with 585 career assists.
GoRedbirds.com and the Illinois State Redbirds App: Your sources for Illinois State tickets, Weisbecker Athletic Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.
