NORMAL — With each Missouri State point diminishing an Illinois State advantage that had once stood at 13, the need for a Redbird offensive response increased.
At peak urgency Sunday at CEFCU Arena, sophomore Shannon Dowell was there to jostle the seemingly jammed home team point total.
Dowell’s driving basket with 3:44 left halted a 13-0 Bears surge and her 3-pointer at the 1:56 mark boosted a two-point edge to five as the Redbirds captured a key 66-55 Missouri Valley Conference victory before a crowd of 2,784.
Here are seven takeaways as ISU snapped an eight-game Missouri State winning streak while earning its fifth straight victory.