Knudsen’s hot hand fuels Redbird victory over Bradley
Written by Noah Simon on January 30, 2025
Image Courtesy of Redbird Athletics
NORMAL, Ill. – Elyce Knudsen earned her second Missouri Valley Conference Newcomer of the Week Honor after her strong performance led the Redbirds to a 74-58 victory over Bradley this past Sunday at the CEFCU arena.
Three Redbirds poured in strong performances over the weekend en route to Illinois State’s strong finish in the second half, which saw the team outscore Bradley by 12 points after leading by 4 at halftime.
Elyce Knudsen’s finished with a game-high 20 points in her second consecutive game that saw her not only win MVC Newcomer of the Week honors but also surpass 2,500 career points, joining Murray State’s Katelyn Young and LSU’s Aneesah Morrow as the only three active players to surpass this milestone.
Knudsen was not the only Redbird to reach a huge milestone in this game, as the victory marked head coach Kristen Gillespie’s 250th career win and her 145th win at Illinois State University, putting her in second place in program history.
The Redbirds shot 16-for-24 in the second half, while connecting on 6 out of 10 three-pointers, as the team improved to 5-0 against in-state rivals this season, and improving their win streak against Bradley to nine straight victories.
Shannon Dowell contributed her third double-double of the season with 17 points and 10 rebounds, and Neveah Thomas finished the game with 19 points and 7 rebounds to add to Knudsen’s 20 points as the three scored 56 out of the Redbirds’ 74 points in the win.
Dowell and Knudsen started the second half off on fire, combining for 17 Redbirds points. Knudsen connected on two three-pointers to extend the Redbird lead early in the period before Dowell scored the final seven points of the quarter, sending the Redbirds into the final period with a 51-39 lead. Neveah Thomas scored seven points in the final period of play as the team closed out the victory.
ISU finished the game shooting 28-for-50 from the floor, their ninth time this season of shooting better than 50 percent from the field and their third game in a row.
Coach Kristen Gillespie’s team also handled the basketball, turning the ball over only nine times, recording 18 assists on 28 made baskets, and turning the ball over a season-low nine times.
The win improved their record to 12-7 on the season, and they have won three straight games. The Redbirds will host Southern Illinois next on Friday, January 31, at CEFCU arena, followed by Missouri State on Sunday.
