Illinois States 58-54 Thursday night win over Southwest Missouri State may have been delicious for Taren OBrien and her Redbird teammates, but the junior guard claims it was hardly the full meal.
It was only a taste, said OBrien, whose team takes on Missouri Valley Conference leader Wichita State at 7:05 p.m. Saturday in Redbird Arena. Were not satisfied by any means. But its a taste of what could happen consistently if we can continue to work our tails off toward our goal of putting 40 minutes together.
For the first 25 minutes, it looked like the Redbirds were doomed to go hungry for victory again as SMS stretched an 11-point halftime advantage into a 41-27 edge. But OBrien, who scored 15 points to lead the Birds, helped provide the firepower for a 31-13 finish and an end to a four-game losing streak. Sharon Blade (9 points) combined with OBrien and Jaci McCormack (7 each) to score 23 of those 31 points. Freshman Sara Stevensons only shot of the game and second field goal of the season garnished Illinois States entree by giving the Birds a lead they could keep--and their first lead of the second half--with 1:23 to play.
Redbird coach Jenny Yopp agreed with OBrien.
It (the win over SMS) definitely is a taste of what we can do when we become even more consistent, said Yopp, whose Birds are 3-10 overall, 1-3 in the Valley.
Stevensons shot was a show of depth as much as skill for Illinois State.
We all knew Sara would hit that shot, said Yopp, who prefers to call her starters pacesetters because, quite frequently, its players off the bench who start the team on a roll. That wasnt a surprise because we know we have 10 or 12 players who can contribute and who, on any given night, will have opportunities to help this team win. Its a neat thing.
Against SMS, it was the Redbird bench getting the job done with McCormack, Blade and Stevenson joined by Zora Skrabalova, who had 4 points, 3 steals and a block in just 16 minutes. The subs combined for 17 points, 13 rebounds and five steals.
WSU, 10-4, 4-1 in the Valley, pulled in front of the league standings with a 93-86 win at Indiana State--their fourth since a conference-opening loss at Evansville. Reigning Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week Angela Buckner leads a star-studded Shocker cast, The Valleys top rebounder with 12.2 per game to go with 14.8 points, Buckner is complemented by Carlesa Dixon, the leagues No. 1 scorer who shoots 52 percent from the field, 42 percent from three-point range and 79 percent from the free throw line. Point guard Tisharria Huggins has averaged 18 points over her teams last three games--victories over Creighton, Drake and Indiana State.
Yopp has long recognized the Shockers substantial talent. What has put them on top has been steadier play.
Wichita State is more consistent, said Yopp. They make great use of their offensive rebounding ability, along with their quickness and length on defense. Defensively, they will challenge you aggressively.
Yopp describes Buckners ability to create scoring opportunities on the offensive boards as a valuable weapon for coach Darryl Smiths Shockers.
Buckner has 62 offensive rebounds and 162 shot attempts, said Yopp. She gives herself chances to either finish or get the (foul) call and shoot free throws (82 attempts in 12 games). She gives them so many more opportunities to score.
