TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State women's basketball picked up Missouri Valley Conference win number three Sunday afternoon at the Hulman Center, after the Sycamores defeated Illinois State, 63-49. With the win, ISU improved to 9-6 on the season and 3-1 in the MVC. The Redbirds fell to 4-10 overall and 1-2 in conference play.
 
The Sycamores, winners of three-straight, had four players in double-digits led by junior Wendi Bibbins who finished just two points shy of tying a career-high with 17 points. The Harvey, Louisiana native also grabbed six rebounds while tying a career high with three blocks.
 
Junior Ashley Taia picked up where she left off Friday, finishing the day with 14 points, four steals and two assists while Sullivan, Indiana native Rhagen Smith finished 5-of-10 from the field for 10 points to go along with her seven boards.
 
One of the most impressive performances of the day came from sophomore Tierra Webb. Webb finished the afternoon with a career-high six steals to go along with her 13 points. Webb, along with Taia accounted for 10 of the teams' 17 steals in the game. Regan Wentland and Brooklyn Artis also had a pair of steals each in the game.
 
Unlike Friday's performance where the Sycamores could only muster 12 points at intermission, ISU came out firing on all cylinders, surpassing that total in the first quarter alone. Bibbins kicked off the game with three-straight field goals to set the tone for the Sycamores. For much of the day, it seemed like no player could check her, but foul trouble played a part in limiting her for much of the first half. Bibbins ended the half with nine points in just seven minutes of action.
 
The Sycamores jumped out on top, 21-12 after one quarter, but Illinois State fought back to close the gap at halftime to 31-27 before eventually tying the game at 38 each in the third quarter. Bibbins hit a jumper from 10-feet out and the Sycamores never looked back. Indiana State would go on to outscore the Redbirds in the fourth quarter, 23-11 to pull away.
The team was able to capitalize on Illinois State miscues at the free throw line, cashing in on 18-of-25 chances from the charity stripe. Webb led all scorers from the stripe, connecting on 10-of-14.
 
Indiana State finished the game shooting 50.4 percent (21-of-52) from the field while holding the opposition to just 33.9 percent (19-of-56). For the second time this weekend though, ISU was outrebounded by a large margin, 43-29. The Redbirds did especially well on the offensive glass by grabbing 17 and turning those rebounds into 12 second chance points.
 
The Sycamores return to the road for three-straight games starting with a trip to Chicago next Saturday when they take on Loyola. The team will then travel to Northern Iowa and Drake before returning to the Hulman Center January 27.
 
For the latest information on the Sycamore Women's Basketball team, make sure to check out GoSycamores.com. You can also find the team on social media including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.