The ISU women's basketball team still searches for their first win of the season as they fall to Missouri State 58-35.(goredbirds.com)
By ISU Sports Information
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Despite pulling within three points in the middle of the second half, a late 22-2 run by the Lady Bears proved to be too much, as the Illinois State women’s basketball team fell to Missouri State, 58-35, Sunday at JQH Arena. Katy Winge led all scorers with 17 points in the contest.
Octavia Crump added eight points with six coming in the second half, while Zenobia Bess scored five in the contest. Illinois State (0-18, 0-7 MVC) shot 24 percent from the field, while the late run by Missouri State (8-10, 5-2 MVC) helped MSU connect on 36 percent of its field goal attempts. Taylor Stewart led the Redbirds on the boards, as she tied a career-high eight rebounds, which she accomplished for the third time this season. Mary Sims grabbed six boards, while Bess and Colleene Smith both collected five rebounds. MSU had a slight advantage on the boards, as it pulled down 37 compared to ISU’s 35 rebounds.
“They had a couple big shots that turned it up for them, but I thought we played harder this game,” head coach Barb Smith said. “We played better defensively, and we played together much better. It has been hard for us to score all year, and it is hard for us to keep turnovers and missed layups down. It is a focus thing on offense, and we are doing better, but we have to be able to finish our shots.”
The two teams traded baskets early in the game, before both teams went scoreless for nearly five minutes until Winge hit a jumper to take a 6-4 lead with 13:21 left in the first half. Winge netted ISU’s first six points, but the lead was short lived, as Missouri State used a 12-0 run, including three shots beyond the arc, to take a 17-6 advantage at the 8:29 mark of the first half.
Winge was the only Redbird to score a field goal through the first 15 minutes of the game, as the Lady Bears scored seven-straight points, 26-11, with five minutes remaining before the break, as Illinois State continued to struggle from the field. Late in the half, ISU found some offense, as it outscored MSU, 9-4, over the final minutes of the first half. Despite the effort, Illinois State trailed, 30-20, at the break.
At the half, Winge led all scorers with 11 points, while only three other Redbirds scored in the first half. Illinois State struggled with scoring droughts, as it sank 24 percent from the field, while Missouri State sank 36 percent of its field goal attempts. The Lady Bears also had the advantage on the boards, grabbing 21, while the Redbirds pulled down 19.
Crump scored the first field goal of the second half for the Redbirds at the 13:13 mark. Despite struggling from the floor early in the second half, ISU regrouped and pulled within five points, 34-29, thanks to a 6-0 run in the middle of the half. MSU was scoreless for nearly six minutes during the Redbird run.
Illinois State pulled within three, but a scoring drought by the Redbirds and a 12-0 run by the Lady Bears gave Missouri State a 48-33 lead with three minutes left in the game. Crump hit a jumper to end the MSU run, but back-to-back threes by Missouri State ignited a 10-0 run. The Lady Bears ended the game with a 22-2 run, as the Redbirds ran out of time and fell, 58-35.
Illinois State returns home to open a four-game homestand, beginning Friday at 7:05 p.m., against Bradley.
