NORMAL, Ill. (Interstat) — Doneelah Washington scored 26 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead Illinois State to an 82-71 victory over Evansville in a Missouri Valley Conference women’s basketball game Sunday at Redbird Arena.

The Redbirds, who improved to 8-8 overall, used a decisive 10-0 run late in the fourth quarter to pull away from a persistent Evansville team that kept the game within single digits for most of the afternoon. The Purple Aces fell to 4-12.

Washington, a 6-foot junior from Lincoln, Nebraska, was efficient and dominant, hitting 11 of her 17 field goal attempts to record her second double-double in three games. She added two assists and two blocks, anchoring an Illinois State defense that forced 19 Evansville turnovers, converting them into 23 points.

The most critical sequence came with just over six minutes remaining and Illinois State holding a narrow 69-66 lead. After an Evansville turnover, Grace Nelson sank a 3-pointer off an assist from Trista Fayta to push the lead to six. On the ensuing possession, the Redbirds forced another turnover, leading to a layup by Addison Martin. Washington then drew a foul on the defensive end and hit a free throw to cap the 10-point surge, extending the margin to 77-66 with 5:08 to play. Evansville never recovered, getting no closer than nine points the rest of the way.

Martin complemented Washington with a strong all-around performance, finishing with 19 points, six assists and five rebounds for Illinois State. Fayta directed the offense with seven assists, while Kya Hurt added 11 points and five assists. The Redbirds shot 52.5% from the field and assisted on 10 of their 31 made baskets.

Evansville was led by Camryn Runner’s 17 points, six rebounds and four assists. Jelena Savic came off the bench to score 14 points, all in the first three quarters, and Georgia Cox posted a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. The Purple Aces struggled with ball security, committing those 19 turnovers while managing only four assists as a team, which undermined an otherwise solid shooting afternoon where they hit 41.9% from the field and 92.3% from the free-throw line.

The game was tightly contested through three quarters, featuring 10 lead changes and six ties. Evansville’s last lead came at 50-48 on a layup by Cox with 4:15 left in the third quarter. Illinois State responded with a 7-0 run, highlighted by five points from Washington, to reclaim the lead for good.

Illinois State’s defensive pressure was a constant theme, as they recorded 10 steals, led by three from Washington. The Redbirds also controlled the interior, outscoring Evansville 48-26 in the paint despite being outrebounded 38-33 overall, thanks to a 13-5 edge on the offensive glass for the Purple Aces.

The win gives Illinois State a sweep of its two-game conference homestand after defeating Illinois-Chicago on Thursday. Evansville saw a brief two-game winning streak snapped after a road victory at Southern Illinois earlier in the week.

Illinois State next hosts Valparaiso on Thursday. Evansville returns home to face Illinois-Chicago on Friday.