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NORMAL, Ill. (WCIA) — From Division Three to Division One, Elyce Knudsen’s last season of college basketball was one for the record books.
The Philo native set Illinois State’s program record with 92 three-pointers in a season, averaging 14.1 ppg, leading the Redbirds to the NIT Fab Four, getting to play four postseason games in front of home fans.
“Everything that the community means to women’s basketball here was super fun to be a part of,” Knudsen said. “Obviously, when you can extend your season for three weeks, that’s exactly what you want to do. When you enjoy playing under that staff and with the girls that we had, just super fun. I mean, the last couple of games here, the atmosphere was insane. To kind of bring that that excitement back for this program, it was fun.”
The Unity grad made the move to Normal after four seasons at Millikin, scoring 2,274 points for the Big Blue.
“The little girl in me, she always wanted to play basketball at the next level,” Knudsen added. “She really didn’t know what that process was going to look like, and to play four years at Millikin and have the success that I did with those girls, it was an experience unlike any other, and then to use my last year to play at the Division One level when people thought I really couldn’t.” “It’s everything that I’ve wanted out of my sports career and to play the game that I love and to do it and to impact so many lives along the way that that’s all I can ask for.”