NORMAL, Ill. (Interstat) — The Illinois State Redbirds look to defend their home court Wednesday against the visiting Chicago State Cougars in a non-conference women’s basketball matchup.

Illinois State (1-1) is coming off a 75-65 road loss to Illinois on Sunday. In that game, Nevaeh Thomas led the Redbirds with 20 points and four assists, while Bella Finnegan added 10 points and seven rebounds. The team opened its season with an 87-76 home victory over Dayton.

Chicago State (1-2) is seeking to rebound from a lopsided 116-58 defeat at Notre Dame, also on Sunday. Aiyanna Culver scored 16 points in the loss for the Cougars. Their lone win this season was a 59-54 home victory over Winthrop on Nov. 5.

The game at Redbird Arena will be the first of a challenging 10-game stretch for the Cougars, which includes upcoming contests against Western Illinois, Northern Illinois and a tournament in Naples, Florida. Illinois State will hit the road for its next game, a Nov. 18 matchup at Loyola Chicago, before returning home to host Saint Louis.