CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (Interstat) — Missouri Valley Conference women’s basketball play opens Wednesday as Northern Iowa hosts Illinois State at McLeod Center. The Redbirds (4-4) enter having dropped two straight, including a 57-44 home loss to Wake Forest on Friday. Doneelah Washington posted a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds in that defeat, while Addison Martin added 14 points and eight boards. The Panthers (2-4) are also looking to rebound from a Friday loss, falling 62-56 at UNLV. Taryn Wharton scored a team-high 19 points in the contest, and Elise Jaeger added 13 points and four assists. Illinois State has shown a potent offense at times, scoring 87 points in a season-opening win over Dayton and 101 against Chicago State. Northern Iowa’s defense will be tested after allowing an average of 68.3 points in its four losses. This marks the conference opener for both teams. The Panthers won both meetings last season.