By ISU Sports Information

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – Sophomore Viria Livingston collected her second career double-double (first this season) with a season-high 12 points and a team-best 10 rebounds to go along with team highs of three assists and two steals, but the Illinois State women’s basketball team was defeated by second-place Northern Iowa, 82-51, Sunday afternoon in Missouri Valley Conference action inside the McLeod Center.

With the loss the Redbirds fall to 6-18 (3-10 MVC) on the season, while the Panthers improve to 18-6 (11-2 MVC) overall.

Illinois State jumped out to a quick 5-0 lead, before UNI quickly answered with seven in a row. With the Redbirds trailing 12-11, the Panthers rattled off the final eight points of the opening quarter to lead 20-11.

Senior Brechelle Beachum drilled a triple to start the second stanza, and Illinois State played very well defensively, holding UNI without a point for the first 4:32 of the quarter and 5:30 overall going back to the last 58 seconds of the first period. But the Redbirds could not take advantage of the cold spell and continued to trail by six, 20-14.

Once the Panthers popped the lid off the bucket, the floodgates opened, as UNI used a half-ending 14-2 run by harassing Illinois State with its half-court press, resulting in easy buckets. The Redbirds turned the ball over 15 times over the opening 20 minutes and were outscored in points off turnovers, 17-2, which allowed the home team to take a 34-16 advantage at halftime. The visitors also did not help themselves by shooting 30 percent (6-of-20) from the field and 3-of-8 from the charity stripe.

Illinois State’s offense woke up in the third quarter, scoring 17 points, but the Redbirds allowed 22 and trailed 56-33 after 30 minutes. Illinois State then tallied 18 points in the fourth quarter, as the Redbirds shot 53.8 percent (7-of-13) in the stanza.

Illinois State took better care of the basketball in the second half but still finished with 24 turnovers, which led to UNI’s commanding 30-5 advantage in points off turnovers. The home team also held a 40-20 lead in points in the paint and controlled the glass, 42-32, including 18-11 on the offensive end, resulting in a 14-4 advantage in second-chance points.

The Redbirds finished the contest shooting 40.0 percent (20-of-50), including 5-of-10 from behind the arc, while the Panthers shot 44.1 percent (28.6). UNI also outscored Illinois by 10 at the free throw line (16-6).

Joining Livingston in double figures was Beachum with 11 points and freshman Megan Talbot with 10. Freshman Frannie Corrigan added five rebounds and a season-high three blocks.

“I thought we had a really good start, one of the best ones we have had in a while,” head coach Barb Smith said. “We did not handle their half-court press well, and the turnovers were the difference in the game. We were so tentative after the press and did not move the ball as well. We would get stuck the shot clock winding down.

The Redbirds return to action Friday, Feb. 17, when they host Wichita State, with tipoff slated for 7 p.m. on Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena.