Redbirds Drop Road Contest At Drake, 73-55

DES MOINES, Iowa – Illinois State began a two-game road swing to end the regular season against Drake on Thursday night in Des Moines, Iowa, as ISU looks to maintain is place in the top half of the league standings. The host Bulldogs (11-18, 10-9 MVC) finished the first quarter on a tear and took a lead they never relinquished against the Redbirds (18-12, 12-7 MVC) at the Knapp Center, as Trista Fayta (14) and Bella Finnegan (10) both scored in double figures for ISU.

HOW IT HAPPENED 
•    The Bulldogs scored the first four points of the game and led 9-6 following a three-pointer by Abbie Aalsma with just under five minutes to play in the opening period. ISU would answer and tie the game at 9-9 on three free throws by Grace Nelson, who converted all three from the line after being fouled while shooting from behind the arch. 
•    Drake would push the lead back to five points at 16-11 with just under two minutes to play, before a layup by Finnegan cut the lead to three at 16-13. However, the Bulldogs would finish the first quarter on a 10-0 run to take a 26-13 lead at the end of the first.
•    The start of the second quarter saw Drake go up by 17 points at 32-15 with 7:12 left on the clock, but a three-pointer by Fayta on the next ISU possession would cut the deficit to 14 points. The Redbirds would continue to chip away at the Bulldogs' lead, eventually cutting it to 11 at 39-28 with under two minutes to play before halftime on a three-pointer by Finnegan. 
•    The Bulldogs would score the final points of the half on a three-pointer by Knutson to take a 42-28 lead into the locker room at the break. 
•    ISU got out to a quick start to the third quarter, as Finnegan drilled another three-pointer to cut the Drake advantage to 11 at 42-31, but the Bulldogs pulled away in the latter half of the quarter to widen the lead to 21 at 56-35 after a 7-0 run with 2:56 left in the period. Four-straight points by Doneelah Washington to end the third quarter would put the Drake advantage at 58-39 headed to the fourth quarter.
•    Nelson drilled a three-pointer to get things started in the final quarter of play for the Redbirds and that was followed by a three-pointer from Washington, which trimmed the Drake lead to 58-45 with 7:53 left in the contest. After four quick points by the Bulldogs, Addison Martin connected on a jumper to trim the deficit back to 15 points.
•    A 7-0 run by Drake would extend its lead to 69-47 with under three to play, but ISU would answer with six-straight points by Madison Austin and Nelson to cut it back to 16 points at 69-53 a minute later. Drake would hold on the rest of the way to pick up the 73-55 win and secure the regular-season series split with the Redbirds.
  
HIGHLIGHTS 
•    Fayta led the way for the Redbirds with 14 points, including a pair of three-pointers, and added three assists in 33 minutes of action.
•    Finnegan also scored in double figures for the second-straight game off the bench, finishing with 10 points including a pair of connections from beyond the arch.
•    Washington and Austin tied for the team lead with six rebounds each in the contest, as Washington added nine points and Austin tallied seven. 
•    With her performance, Washington moved over 500 points for the season becoming just the 17th player in program history to score 500 or more in a single season.
•    She also recorded a career-high six blocks against the Bulldogs, topping her previous career best of five set earlier this season.

UP NEXT 
Illinois State wraps up the regular season on Sunday in Peoria against I-74 rival Bradley at the Renaissance Coliseum, with tipoff set for 2 p.m. CT.

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