By ISU Sports Information
NORMAL-The Illinois State women’s basketball team made a season-high nine 3-pointers on its way to a 73-62 victory over Indiana State during the team’s annual Play 4Kay game Friday night on Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena.
For the first time this season, the Redbirds had five players score in double digits. Shakeela Fowler led the way with 19 points, Octavia Crump finished with 15, Colleene Smith had 14, Katrina Beck chipped in 11 and Viria Livingston ended with 10 points.
Fowler hit a pull-up jumper on the Redbirds’ first possession of the game Friday, but ISU gave up seven-straight points to the Sycamores and fell behind, 7-2. The Redbirds closed the gap after a Beck layup, cutting the Sycamores’ lead to 11-8 midway through the first quarter. Then Illinois State took control of the game by scoring the final 10 points of the quarter to take an 18-13 lead after the first 10 minutes.
Illinois State (6-15, 4-6 MVC) continued its offensive efficiency in the second quarter with scores on its first three possessions. The Sycamores fought back with an 8-0 run to cut the Redbird lead to one point. Indiana State (9-12, 5-5) then took the lead with a layup by Cierra Ceazer. But it was Fowler who gave the Redbirds the halftime lead with back-to-back 3-pointers, the final one beating the first-half buzzer.
Smith and Fowler led the Redbirds with 10 and 11 first-half points, respectively, as Illinois State took a 37-33 lead into halftime.
The Sycamores quickly tied the game at 37 to start the second half, but Fowler picked up where she left off and nailed her fourth 3-pointer of the game to put ISU back on top.
ISU then came away with six points on its next possession. The officials called an off-ball foul on the Sycamores while Beck made a 3-pointer, which gave Illinois State the points and the ball. On the ensuing possession, Fowler was fouled while making a layup and she went to the line to convert the three-point play. Beck hit another 3-pointer moments later to give the Redbirds a 50-39 lead.
Indiana State capitalized on four Illinois State turnovers to finish the fourth quarter on a 7-2 run, but the Redbirds still took a 52-46 lead into the fourth quarter.
Indiana State cut the Redbird lead down to three with seven minutes to play after back-to-back layups from Ceazer and Ashley Taia. The Redbirds fired back with a jumper from Fowler and a 3-pointer from Crump to extend their lead to 61-53. Illinois State closed the Sycamores out from the free-throw line down the stretch and beat Indiana State 73-62.
The Redbirds return to action Feb. 12 when they host Drake. The game is scheduled to tip off at 7 p.m.
