Illinois State women’s basketball awaits a rematch with Drake
Written by Lucy Tomlinson on March 5, 2026
Image courtesy of Illinois State women’s basketball
NORMAL, Ill. — Illinois State women’s basketball prepares for a 6 p.m. battle against Drake inside the Knapp Center on Thursday. The matchup could be crucial for the Redbirds’ seeding ahead of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament.
The two MVCf foes saw each other last on Feb. 7 when the Bulldogs fell 77-70 at CEFCU Arena. Trista Fayta dropped 23 points and had nine assists during the afternoon battle. Despite Drake earning a better field goal percentage during the 40 minutes, ISU had 19 points off turnovers and 15 points from the charity stripe.
Anna Becker led the Bulldogs with 15 points and two assists. The match got physical with Becker fouling out and Doneelah Washington picked up a technical foul. The late-season game should be no different.
ISU is coming off a 41-point win against Valparaiso, 83-42. Washington led the team with 16 points and Fayta had a season-high of 12 assists. Drake is on a two-game win streak with the most recent victory being a 83-68 win over Southern Illinois. Becker tallied 20 points and three rebounds.
The Redbirds and Bulldogs are near identical in the offensive category. ISU is averaging 73.8 points per game compared to Drake’s 71.6. ISU leads the Valley in field goal percentage with a 44.5%.
Becker and Washington will be crucial for their respective teams. It will be an all-out battle in the paint and the Bulldogs will need to continue their rebound efficiency to prevent second-chance points for ISU.
The Redbirds come into the tied for third in the MVC, with a conference record of 12-6 and overall record of 18-11. The Bulldogs sits in seventh place with an MVC record of 9-9 and overall record of 10-18.
Records go out the window in this battle of red and blue with conference standings on the line.
For all things ISU women’s basketball, stay tuned on wznd.com.
