Bonnie Ryan
GoSycamores.com
NORMAL, Ill. -- Taylor Whitley notched 17 points on the day, but it was not enough to overcome a 90-61 loss to Illinois State on Saturday afternoon at Redbird Arena. With the defeat, the Sycamores drop to 11-10 (2-8 MVC) on the year.
Whitley led ISU with 17 points and went 6-for-7 from the free throw line. The freshman from Geneva, Ill., also finished with five assists and four steals.
"Taylor was aggressive today, and that's her game," Head Coach Jim Wiedie said. "There's some fire there, and you have to respect that. I was happy for her. Chelsea Buher also did a nice job today and stepped up to play well."
Senior Kelsey Luna and sophomore Chelsea Buher added eight points apiece, while junior Kelsie Cooley contributed seven. The Sycamores' leading rebounders were sophomore Shannon Thomas and freshman Moriah Hodge, who each totaled six.
Illinois State was led by four players in double figures - Ashleen Bracey (19), Maggie Krick (17), Hannah Spanich (15) and Nicolle Lewis (11). Bracey and Lewis added nine boards each, and Lewis finished with three blocks to her credit.
Cooley opened the game with the Sycamores' first seven points to keep within striking distance. A three from Schoen put ISU ahead 10-8, but treys from Spanich and Bracey helped the Redbirds to an 8-0 run. Luna threw in a jumper, and Mattox poured in a triple to bring Indiana State within one, and four points from Hanley kept Illinois State in front. Luna then struck again with her first three to narrow the game to one, but Krick connected on nine points, and the Redbirds quickly took a 12-point advantage. Despite a 3-pointer and a jump shot from Whitley, as well as another by Mattox, ISU faced a double-digit deficit for the remainder of the half. After an 8-for-11 3-point performance in the half by Illinois State, the Sycamores headed to the locker room facing a 45-34 disadvantage at halftime.
Luna knocked down an immediate three to kick off the second half, but a 45-point Redbird effort over the next 20 minutes was too much for the Sycamores. After a layup and free throw from Whitley, Buher totaled eight points off the bench, including a three to halt an eight-point run by Illinois State with 12 minutes to go. Thomas then popped in an inside shot coupled with a free throw, and Whitley added two shots from the line of her own. With the exception of three points from Buher, the Sycamores were held nearly scoreless for the remainder of the contest, and the Redbirds' Jenkins, Bracey and Krick combined for 24 points to seal the game for a 90-61 final score.
Illinois State, which remains in sole possession of first place in the conference, improves to 16-5 (9-1 MVC).
"Illinois State is a very talented offensive team, and they showed that today," Wiedie said. "I don't know too many teams that wouldn't have lost to them today with the way they shot the ball. I thought they hit some tough shots early, and my hat's off to Illinois State for a great game."
Indiana State returns to action on Friday, Feb. 12, playing host to Missouri State at 7:05 p.m. (ET) at Hulman Center.