Redbirds struggle in second half, fall to Bradley

Image Courtesy of Redbird Athletics

NORMAL, Ill. – The Redbirds opened the game against Bradley up with a 9-0 run, led by three-pointers from Maya Wong and Elyce Knudsen. Followed by a three-pointer by Neveah Thomas, the Redbirds held a 12-3 lead early in the first quarter.

Bradley started the game by ending the first quarter on a 15-4 run to lead 28-16 heading into the second quarter.

Shannon Dowell led the way for the Redbirds with her fourth double-double of the season. She finished the game with 19 points and 13 rebounds, to go along with 2 assists and 2 steals.

Coach Gillespie’s team played from behind for most of the game before Dowell led a 7-2 run early in the fourth quarter to reclaim the lead for Illinois State.

She scored 14 of her team-high 19 points in the second half, allowing the Redbirds to lead 59-58 with just over two minutes to play in the final period before Bradley regained control of the game and ran away with the 70-65 victory.

Three other Redbirds finished Sunday’s matchup with 10 or more points, with Addison Martin contributing 15 points and Maya Wong and Elyce Knudsen scoring 10 points each.

Martin also added 9 rebounds to her performance. She led the Redbirds in scoring in the first half, with 11 of her 15 points coming before the halftime break.

This game marked the 19th contest this season with four or more double-figure scorers for the Redbirds. The team is 26-9 in such games since the start of the 2023-2024 season.

Freshman Doneelah Washington blocked her 28th shot of the season, leaving her one block shy of moving into a tie for the second most blocked shots in a season by a freshman in program history.

The Redbirds now sit at 17-10 on the season and 11-5 in conference play. The team will host UIC and Valparaiso at CEFCU Arena this week, playing against UIC on Thursday, February 27, and Valparaiso on Saturday, March 1, which will be the final home game of the regular season for the Redbirds.