Knudsen, Wong Lead Illinois State to Comeback Win Over UIC
Written by Noah Simon on January 23, 2025
NORMAL, Ill. — The Lady Redbirds emerged victorious in their Friday matchup against UIC, led by a 21 to 5 scoring run in the final 4 minutes of the opening half, which saw the Redbirds outscore their opposition by 15 points to head into halftime with a 43-28 lead.
After the intermission, the Redbirds saw their lead diminish, as UIC was able to make it a 56-47 affair early in the fourth quarter. In the final three minutes, Maya Wong connected on seven consecutive free throws to close out the game and secure the victory for Illinois State.
Leading the charge for the Redbirds was Elyce Knudsen, who scored 17 of her game-high 24 points in the first half. She also contributed four rebounds and three assists on the night.
Maya Wong scored 20 points for the third time in her Redbird career, converting 9 of her 10 free throws en route to scoring 10 points in the final quarter of play to seal the victory for the Redbirds.
Addison Martin also contributed offensively, with a season-high 16 points to go along with a career-high six assists and five rebounds. Martin scored double figures in the fourth straight game, scoring 14 of her 16 points in the first half while shooting 7-for-10 from the field.
The Redbirds shot an impressive 54% from the field in their win, marking the eighth game this season in which they have shot better than 50% from the floor. This leads all teams in the Missouri Valley Conference.
78.9% from the free-throw line also marked the second straight game of shooting better than 75% from the charity stripe and the first time the Redbirds have done so in back-to-back games this season.
Unselfish basketball set the tone offensively for head coach Kristen Gillespie’s team, with 24 of their 27 baskets coming off assists.
Four Redbirds players contributed three or more assists, with Addison Martin and Doneelah Washington leading the way with six assists each.
With this win, the Redbirds improved their record to 11-7 on the season, with an impressive mark of 5-2 in conference play.
Their next matchup will feature Bradley at CEFCU Arena on January 26. The team will play the next three games at home, followed by four straight games on the road.
