Its just a 46-hour turnaround, but Illinois State head coach
Jenny Yopp figures things will look different when her team tries to remain unbeaten in Missouri Valley Conference play Monday with a win over Northern Iowa.
One of the differences will be in the Redbird starting lineup, where freshman point guard
Taren O'Brienmakes her first college start. OBrien, who leads the Redbirds with 16 steals and 11 three-point field goals, piloted ISUs 16-0 run in just over two minutes in Saturdays 79-60 win over Bradley.
According to Yopp, OBriens addition to the starting lineup for Mondays 2:05 p.m. start is in part because of the freshmans improved play and partly because of a hand injury to senior guard
Shandeen Hunt, whose status is day-to-day.
Shandeens injury (incurred in the Bradley game) was part of this decision, but Taren has improved her ability to play the point guard position and lead our team early in her career, said Yopp. Were still counting on Shandeens experience, decision-making and maturity.
Another plus for the move is that it frees
Steph Reichle to leave the point and return to a wing spot. Reichle had one of her best games of the year against Bradley with 12 points, 7 assists and 6 rebounds.
We can better utilize Stephs skills from a wing position, said Yopp, whose team, 3-7 overall, 1-0 in the Valley, is trying to win its third straight. OBriens joining the starting lineup gives the Birds, the Valleys youngest team, three freshman starters:
Sharon Blade,
Jaci McCormack and OBrien.
The other difference for ISU will be on the court, going from Bradleys five-guard, open-court style to Northern Iowas powerful post-oriented game. UNI, 6-3 overall, 1-0 in the Valley after a 64-49 Saturday win at Indiana State, features 6-foot-4 Abbi Schutte and 6-foot Nikki Spettel, both double-figure scorers and strong rebounders. On the perimeter, Panther coach Tony DiCecco can rely on three of the Valleys best three-point shooters: Katie Miller, Kary Dawson and Nadine Brandt.
They have a powerful two-post inside game which is always surrounded by three-point shooters, said Yopp, whose team has held its last six opponents to just 21 percent (17-81) from beyond the arc. Northern Iowa is an experienced, physical basketball team which is well-rounded and certainly a contender in our conference.
Yopps second-day assessment of the Bradley win was even better than the post-game perspective. She thought her team got closer to its intended 94-40 style of play.
Bradley was our best effort in terms of total team intensity, said Yopp, whose team got 26 points and 13 rebounds from its substitutes. We maintained intensity and productivity even when we substituted, and that brought us closer to the style of play that players love.
OBrien was one of those, collecting all nine of her points against Bradley during that 16-0 run, adding two assists, two rebounds and a steal to those figures. Another of the Baby Birds,
Stacey White, saw her longest playing time of the season (13 minutes), adding six points and six rebounds while helping contain BU scoring star Sara Bailey.
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