NORMAL, Ill. --  Wichita State missed its last nine shots to drop a 54-50 decision at Illinois State on a poor shooting night by both teams Friday night at Redbird Arena.

The Redbirds out-shot the Shockers, 30 percent (17-57) to 28 percent (17-60) for the game from the field. WSU made just one of its last 13 attempts, as well.

ISU hit a three-pointer and made three free throws down the stretch to improve to 7-18 and 4-10 in the MVC, while WSU dropped to 11-13, 6-7 in the Valley.

WSU was led in scoring by Rangie Bessard's 18 points. TaQuandra Mike's 10 points backed Bessard, who also had 12 rebounds for her seventh double-double of the season.

ISU was led in scoring by Katrina Beck's 20 points. Viria Stewart had 19 points .

In the third quarter, WSU out-scored the Redbirds, 7-3, to put the Shockers up, 30-27, forcing an ISU timeout at 6:44. A five-point run gave the lead back to ISU, 32-30, forcing a Shocker timeout at 5:10.  WSU out-scored ISU, 9-7 over the final five minutes, including a Tompkins bucket with 23 seconds left to tie the game 39-all at the end of the quarter.

In the fourth, ISU went up by five twice after leading the entire quarter, the second time on a three-pointer by Stewart with 57 seconds remaining. Two free throws by Bessard  with 52 seconds left cut ISU's lead to three, 51-48. An ensuing free throw by Stewart with 13 seconds left gave ISU a four-point lead, all it needed to out-distance the Shockers.

The two teams played to a 12-12 tie after the first quarter. Wichita State got on the board first after a scoreless 2:16 by both teams after a three-pointer by Mike. WSU went up by three four times in the first quarter, holding ISU to 24 percent shooting from the field (4-17). Mike's five points led WSU, while Beck led ISU with six points, which were the first three buckets of the game for the Redbirds.

In the second, ISU took the lead on a three-pointer by Stewart at 9:47, 15-12. Each team held the other scoreless for the next three minutes until Beck hit one of two free throws to put the Redbirds up, 16-12, at 6:46. Stovall's three pointer at 5:46 was the Shocker's first bucket of the quarter to cut the ISU lead to 16-15.

Over the next five minutes, the two teams scored eight points each as the Redbirds maintained the one-point lead, 24-23, headed into the halftime locker room.

For the half, WSU out-shot the Redbirds by a narrow margin, 31 percent (9-29) to 29 percent (8-28). Tompkins had six points to lead WSU and Beck had 12 of the Redbirds' 24 points.  WSU forced eight ISU turnovers, but turned the ball over 11 times in the half.

Wichita State is next in action 2 p.m., Sunday afternoon at Bradley.

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