Redbirds Punch Ticket To WNIT Championship With 67-60 Win At South Dakota

VERMILLION, S.D. – Playing in the WNIT Fab 4 for the second-straight season, Illinois State had a tough challenge ahead of it on Wednesday night against a South Dakota program that held a 15-3 record at home. However, the Redbirds (24-13) were able quiet the raucous home crowd thanks to a 21-point, 11-rebound double-double effort from Doneelah Washington that propelled the Birds to a 67-60 win over the Coyotes (26-10) at the Sanford Coyote Sports Center.

With the win, the Redbirds advanced to the WNIT Championship game for the first time in program history.

HOW IT HAPPENED 
•    After the Coyotes scored the first basket of the game, the Redbirds answered with a quick 6-0 run over a minute stretch to take a 6-2 lead just under four minutes into the contest thanks to four-straight points from Washington. The Yotes would answer with a 10-2 run over the next three-plus minutes to take a 12-8 advantage at the first quarter media time out.
•    USD would take a 17-12 lead after the end of the first quarter and hit a quick three-pointer at the start of the second quarter to go up by eight at 20-12. ISU would then answer with a quick 7-0, including five-straight points off the bench from Bella Finnegan, to cut the Yotes lead to one at 20-19 two minutes into the quarter.
•    The Yotes would go back up by as many as four at 25-21, but five-straight points on a jumper by Kya Hurt and Washington's second triple of the game gave the Redbirds a 26-25 with 3:44 left before the break. A quick bucket by USD would regain the lead, before Trista Fayta drilled a three-pointer to take the lead back for the Birds at 29-27.
•    The two squads traded baskets to a 31-31 tie with under a minute to go, before the Redbirds took a two-point lead at 33-31 at halftime on a layup by Addison Martin with four seconds to play before time expired.
•    Illinois State went on a 6-0 run to start the third quarter to go up eight at 39-31, forcing USD to call a quick time out just over two minutes in. The Coyotes would trim the Redbird lead down to three at 42-39, before Washington hit her third triple of the game to put the Birds back up by six at 45-39 with 4:50 to play in the quarter.
•    That three would kick start an 8-0 run for the Redbirds, capped off by a three-pointer by Finnegan that put ISU up by 11 at 50-39 with 1:15 left in the third quarter. A layup at the buzzer by South Dakota would cut the ISU lead back to single digits at 50-41 as the game moved to the fourth quarter.
•    Up 52-45, the Redbirds went on an 8-0 run that included Washington's fourth three-pointer of the contest to go up by 15 points at 60-45 with 6:16 to play in the contest. The Yotes then answered with a 7-0 run to cut the Redbird lead back to eight at 60-52 and forced ISU head coach Kristen Gillespie to call a timeout to settle her team down with 4:36 left on the clock.
•    Molly Joyce would then give the Coyotes life with a three-pointer from the top of the key with 2:45 remaining to cut the ISU lead to five at 60-55. 
•    The Coyotes would cut the lead back to five at 62-57 with under a minute to go, however Hurt hit four key free throws down the stretch to ice the game and send the Redbirds to their first WNIT Championship game in program history. 

HIGHLIGHTS 
•    With the win, Illinois State improves to 23-13 on the season and ISU is now 7-1 in the WNIT over the past two seasons.
•    The Redbirds shot 49 percent from the field (25-of-51) and hit seven three-pointers in the contest to pick up the crucial road victory.
•    Washington led four Redbirds in double figures with 21 points (her third 20-plus point effort during the WNIT), thanks to a career-best four three-pointers.
•    Washington also recorded her second-straight double-double and her 14th of the season, with 11 rebounds to go with her 21 points.
•    Martin and Fayta each chipped in with 14 points apiece, and Finnegan rounded out the ISU quartet in double figures with 10 points with a pair of makes from long distance. 
•    Hurt nearly finished in double figures with eight points, including four big free throws down the stretch to close out the victory for the Redbirds.

UP NEXT 
Illinois State will travel to Huntington, West Virginia, to take on Marshall (27-9) in the WNIT Championship game on Saturday, April 4, at 2 p.m. CT.

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