Illinois State women’s basketball overcomes SLU in a midwest showdown

Image courtesy of Redbird women’s basketball.

NORMAL, Ill. — Illinois State women’s basketball came out victorious over SLU 81-75 Friday night after a hard-fought battle.

SLU earned possession to start the game but quickly turned it over after a steal by Doneelah Washington. Bella Finnegan put the Redbirds on the board first with a 3-pointer. Alyssa Koerkenmeier responded with a block on Jaden Pratt, then scored in transition to put the Billikens up 8-3 early in the first period.

Washington cut the deficit to 8-6 with a forced turnover and a 3-pointer. Trista Fayta tied the game after grabbing a rebound and scoring on a putback. SLU kept its pressure high and pushed the lead to six after a 3-pointer from Jahda Denis, making it 14-8. The Billikens stayed hot from deep, as Zya Nugent added another triple to extend the lead to 17-10 with 2:27 left.

The Redbirds looked to close the gap, but a turnover by Grace Nelson led to a coast-to-coast layup by Kera Brown in the final minute. Fayta missed a late 3-pointer, and ISU entered the second period trailing 21-12.

Illinois State fought back in the second. Finnegan hit her second 3-pointer to trim the deficit to 25-21 with just over five minutes left in the half. DeAnna Martin converted on an and-one but missed the free throw. The Redbirds trailed by two until Fayta knocked down her first 3-pointer to make it a one-point game.

Washington gave ISU its first lead, 28-27, with a layup at the 1:35 mark. SLU turned it over on the next possession after a steal by Fayta, and Kya Hurt converted an and-one to push the lead to 31-27. Finnegan added to the momentum with her second steal of the night, and Hurt scored again to send Illinois State into halftime leading 33-27.

SLU responded immediately in the third, scoring four straight to tie the game 34-34. Fayta scored to retake the lead, but Denis hit another 3-pointer to pull the Billikens within one. A turnover by Martin resulted in a fast-break layup for Alexia Nelson, giving SLU a 39-38 lead.

The Billikens kept their run going as Denis converted an and-one to extend the lead to 42-38 with under six minutes left in the period. Washington answered with a layup, then added a block and another basket after pulling down a rebound.

With under two minutes remaining, Fayta completed an and-one to tie the game 50-50. A foul on Jasaaiyah Wallace sent Hurt to the free-throw line, and she tied it again. Bergstrom connected from deep to give SLU a three-point lead, but Washington scored her 11th point of the night at the buzzer to make it 54-52 Billikens entering the fourth.

Illinois State had 10 minutes to close it out — and did. Finnegan tied the game 30 seconds into the fourth, but Alexia Nelson answered with an and-one. Down 61-56, ISU refused to fold. Martin completed another and-one to tie it 61-61. The back-and-forth stretch included 10 turnovers in the final period.

Up three with just over two minutes left, Fayta drained her fourth 3-pointer to extend the lead to 73-67. SLU kept fighting, as Brown hit a 3-pointer to make it 76-70 with 48 seconds remaining. Back-to-back fouls by the Billikens sent Fayta and Washington to the line, and both converted to push the lead to 79-70.

A last-chance 3-pointer by Nugent cut the margin to five with eight seconds left, but SLU could not complete the comeback.

The Redbirds had five players score in double figures. Martin led with 18 points, while Finnegan and Hurt each scored 16. Fayta and Washington added 15 apiece. Washington also recorded five steals, and Finnegan added two.

Illinois State improves to 4-1 and now heads to the Puerto Rico Shootout, beginning Wednesday, Nov. 26, against Rice at 11:30 a.m.

For all things ISU women’s basketball, stay tuned on wznd.com