By:WJBC Staff
NORMAL, Ill. – Seniors Taylor Stewart and Brechelle Beachum played the final home game of their careers Sunday on Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena. The duo led the Redbirds in the scoring column in a 77-44 loss to Missouri State in Missouri Valley Conference action.
Beachum scored 10 points, dished out two assists and recorded two steals, while Stewart added nine points, a team-high five rebounds, two assists and two steals as well. She also knocked down her 50th 3-pointer of the season to become the 19th player in program history to make 50 triples in a season.
Stewart, who is the only four-year Redbird on the squad, needs nine more trey balls to become the 19th Redbird to tally at least 100 makes from behind the arc. She has also played in every possible game so far in her career – 126.
Beachum transferred in before her junior season and scored 89 points in her first campaign. This year, she has scored 307 points and trails Stewart by two points for the team lead. Beachum also paces the squad with 58 steals, with Stewart tallying the second most with 34. Stewart has handed out the most assists with 58, and Beachum is right behind in second with 51.
The two seniors were honored at the conclusion of the game with a Senior Day ceremony on the court, before taking part in a celebration next door.
Illinois State (7-19, 4-11 MVC) started the game with a 5-0 advantage and led 7-2 early, before the Lady Bears (14-11, 10-4 MVC) scored nine unanswered points to take the lead for good.
After junior Hannah Green swished a baseline jumper and sophomore Katrina Beck made one of two from the line to move the Redbirds back to within one at 11-10, Missouri State rattled off 10 in a row, with the final five points of the first quarter and first five of the second stanza.
The Lady Bears later used an 8-0 spurt to end the second quarter to go into the break leading 33-16. The visitors shot 50 percent (12-of-24) in the first half, including 4-of-8 from distance, while Illinois State shot 21.4 percent (6-of-28) and 2-of-9 from 3-point range.
The Redbirds shot 42.9 percent (6-of-14) in the third quarter but were outscored 21-18. Missouri State then held a 23-10 advantage over the final 10 minutes.
Illinois State finished the game at 24.6 percent (15-of-61) and 4-of-21 from long range. The Lady Bears shot 48.1 percent (25-of-52) from the field, 7-of-16 from behind the arc and 20-of-25 from the free throw line. The Redbirds were 10-of-14 at the charity stripe.
Missouri State won the rebounding battle, 44-32, and held a 16-8 advantage in second-chance points despite being outrebounded on the offensive glass, 16-13. Illinois State forced 16 turnovers but gave the ball up 17 times, as both teams recorded 11 steals. The Lady Bears, however, took advantage of the turnovers and outscored the home team, 26-8, in points off turnovers.
Four players scored in double figures for Missouri State, with Liza Fruendt leading the way with 13 points. Aubrey Buckley and Danielle Gitzen added 11 points, with Gitzen also recording team highs of six rebounds, five assists and six steals. Shameka Ealy chipped in 10 points and a game-high three blocks, as the Lady Bears finished with 10 rejections as a team.
The Redbirds return to action Friday, Feb. 24, when they travel to Carbondale, Illinois, to take on Southern Illinois, with tipoff slated for 6 p.m. inside SIU Arena.
