NORMAL, Ill. (Interstat) — Doneelah Washington scored 29 points to lead Illinois State to a 93-74 victory over Valparaiso in a Missouri Valley Conference women’s basketball game Thursday night at Redbird Arena. The Redbirds improved to 9-8 overall after a dominant second quarter, outscoring the Beacons 31-12 to build a 51-35 halftime lead. Illinois State shot 54.5% from the field and made 16 of 20 free throws. Milana Nenadic scored a game-high 34 points for Valparaiso, which fell to 0-18. Allia von Schlegell added 16 points for the Beacons. Illinois State’s Trista Fayta recorded a double-double with 14 points and 10 assists. A crowd of 1,627 attended the game.

NORMAL, Ill. (Interstat) — A dominant second-quarter surge propelled Illinois State to a decisive 93-74 victory over Valparaiso in a Missouri Valley Conference women’s basketball game Thursday night at Redbird Arena. The Redbirds, improving to 9-8 overall, broke open a tight contest by outscoring the visiting Beacons 31-12 in the second period, turning a three-point deficit after one quarter into a commanding 51-35 halftime lead. Illinois State never looked back, maintaining a double-digit advantage throughout the second half before an announced crowd of 1,627. The game’s pivotal stretch began late in the first quarter. Valparaiso, led by the hot shooting of guard Allia von Schlegell, had built a 23-20 lead. But Illinois State closed the opening frame on a 7-0 run, capped by a Trista Fayta layup, to take a lead it would not relinquish. The Redbirds then opened the second quarter with relentless efficiency, particularly in the paint, to construct their 16-point halftime cushion. Illinois State’s offensive execution was clinical. The Redbirds shot 54.5% from the field overall and converted 16 of 20 attempts from the free-throw line. Their most devastating work came inside, where they outscored Valparaiso 60-36 in the paint. The Redbirds also capitalized on their possessions, scoring 93 points on 76 trips for an offensive rating of 121.6, far superior to Valparaiso’s 99.5 rating on 74 possessions. Doneelah Washington led the Illinois State charge with a game-high 29 points, adding two blocks. The junior from Lincoln, Nebraska, continued her stellar recent form, having averaged over 23 points in her previous four contests. She was complemented by a balanced and productive supporting cast. Addison Martin contributed 18 points and five assists, while Trista Fayta orchestrated the offense with a double-double of 14 points and 10 assists. Madison Austin added nine points and Jaeden Pratt chipped in 10. Valparaiso, which fell to 0-18 on the season, was carried by the standout performance of forward Milana Nenadic. The 6-foot-3 junior from Kitchener, Canada, scored a team-high 34 points on efficient 15-of-24 shooting from the field, adding a block and two steals. Von Schlegell, a 5-foot-5 guard from Downers Grove, Illinois, provided 16 points and five assists, connecting on four three-pointers in the first half to keep the Beacons close early. Despite Nenadic’s efforts and a 9-for-23 performance from beyond the arc, the Beacons could not overcome their struggles at the free-throw line, making just 1 of 5 attempts, and their inability to slow the Illinois State interior attack. Valparaiso also committed eight turnovers, which the Redbirds converted into eight points. The loss extends a difficult season for Valparaiso, which has lost its 18 games by an average margin of 26.2 points. The Beacons will look for their first win Sunday when they host Drake. Illinois State, now above .500 in conference play, travels to face Illinois-Chicago next Thursday.

Preview: Valparaiso Beacons at Illinois State Redbirds NORMAL, Ill. (Interstat) — The Illinois State Redbirds look to climb above .500 and extend the Valparaiso Beacons’ season-long misery when the Missouri Valley Conference women’s basketball teams meet Thursday night at Redbird Arena. Illinois State (8-8, 2-2 MVC) enters on a two-game winning streak following an 82-71 victory over Evansville on Sunday. The Redbirds have found a dominant force in forward Doneelah Washington, who is averaging 21.6 points and 9.0 rebounds over her last five games. She posted a double-double of 26 points and 10 rebounds in the win over Evansville. Valparaiso (0-17, 0-4) remains one of the nation’s only winless teams in Division I. The Beacons are coming off a 97-59 loss at Southern Illinois on Saturday, their 12th defeat by 20 or more points this season. They rank last in the MVC in both scoring offense (54.2 points per game) and scoring defense (allowing 80.2). Guard Allia von Schlegell has been a bright spot for Valparaiso, averaging 12.5 points in conference play. She scored 19 points in a loss at Evansville on Jan. 3 and 17 points at Indiana State on New Year’s Day. Illinois State won both meetings last season by an average of 32.5 points. The Redbirds have won eight straight in the series, with Valparaiso’s last victory coming in 2018. The game tips off at 7 p.m. CST. Illinois State visits Illinois-Chicago next Thursday, while Valparaiso hosts Drake on Sunday.