NORMAL, Ill. -- The Wichita State women's basketball team (10-14, 2-11) got a spirited first-half effort, but Illinois State's (20-4, 11-1) top-ranked offense in the MVC proved to be too much as the Shockers fell to the Redbirds, 94-68, Saturday afternoon on WBCA Pink Zone Day inside Redbird Arena.

Jacie Hoyt, Marcy Sudbeck and Val Siemens all scored 12 points to lead the Shockers on the evening. Kristi Cirone led all players and five Redbird players in double-figures with 21 points.

The teams traded baskets early on until the Redbirds used a quick 5-0 spurt to take a 13-6 lead, forcing the Shockers to use their first timeout of the game with 15:24 left. Illinois State extended the lead to as many as 12 before Wichita State got back-to-back buckets from Val Siemens and Haleigh Lankster the close the deficit to 21-14 with 11:30 left to play in the first.

Five points from the Valley's leading scorer Kristi Cirone helped Illinois State extend its lead to 10, 29-19, by the eight-minute mark of the first, as WSU went cold making just two of its next eight shots. A pair of free throws by Marcy Sudbeck and back-to-back three-pointers by Jacie Hoyt brought the Shockers to within four 31-27, with 6:22 left, but the Redbirds answered with a 5-0 run to push the lead back out to 36-29 with five minutes left in the first frame.

Ashleen Bracey scored four of the next eight points of the game, allowing Illinois State to push its advantage to 42-31 with two minutes left until the break, and the Redbirds scored five of the next seven points, including a Nicole Lewis 16-footer with :03 seconds left that gave Illinois State a 47-33 lead at the break.

The Redbirds shot a scorching 59-percent from the floor in the first frame, including a 5-for-7 effort from three-point range. Wichita State matched the three-point effort, making five first-half shots from beyond the arc, but shot just 30-percent overall, as the Redbirds managed six blocks and kept WSU's inside game off track much of the first 20 minutes.

WSU was able to stay within striking distance with an 8-of-9 effort at the free-throw line, and a 17-14 advantage on the glass in the first.

Illinois State opened the second half on an 13-4 run, extending its lead to 60-37, and never looked back as the Shockers could not cut the deficit below 15 points again.

The Shockers are next in action at cross-state Valley rival Missouri State at 2:05 p.m., next Saturday inside the new JQH Arena.