The Illinois State women's basketball team would like to regain some lost momentum it had after winning three out of four games in mid-January. Northern Iowa comes in with a three-game winning streak. As both teams begin the second half of the Missouri Valley Conferences double round-robin schedule, both coaches believe their 7:05 p.m. Friday match-up in Redbird Arena should have a focus all its own.
Redbird coach Jenny Yopp believes her charges have to understand how close they are to success, and push to get there, and get the on-court leadership they need.
The margin of error becomes less and less as time goes along, said Yopp, whose Redbirds are 5-13 overall, 3-6 in the Missouri Valley after home losses to Creighton and Drake last week. We have the talent. Our chemistry is great. We feel we can accomplish things even though we know nobody in this league will make it easy for us.
Taren OBrien, after a sensational week averaging 15.5 points per game on the road at Southern Illinois and Evansville, struggled against Creighton and Drake. Several opposing coaches have called the junior point guard who leads her team in scoring and assists, the key to Illinois State and Yopp doesnt disagree. OBrien averages 14.6 points in Illinois State victories and 9.1 in Redbird losses this season.
Our team goes as Taren goes, said Yopp. I believe in her. Her teammates play with more confidence when she plays well.
Northern Iowa is getting leadership from Alex Cook, a sophomore who is the current Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week on the strength of her seven straight double-double scoring-rebounding efforts. Coach Tony DiCecco, the dean of Valley womens basketball coaches, thinks his teams three-game winning streak has little bearing on Fridays contest.
In years past, momentum has carried teams through, said DiCecco, whose team hasnt lost since a 41-point pounding at Southwest Missouri State two weeks ago. But, this year, the league is so tough and so balanced that you have to be ready to play every game.
DiCeccos team is looking forward to a rematch with Missouri Valley Conference leader Indiana State on Sunday--the Sycamores won the meeting in Cedar Falls 90-88--but values the Illinois State contest just as much.
No question thats going to be a key game, said DiCecco, whose team is 10-8 overall, 5-4 in the Valley. We have not played very well on the road this year and we know Illinois State is playing better. The chemistry is there (for ISU). We definitely know the talent is there.
The Panthers won the first-round game at West Gym, 69-55, in a game which boiled down to foul problems for Illinois State and free throws for UNI fueling a 29-6 first-half run over an 11-minute period. Michelle Harakas matched her career high scoring for the Redbirds with 15 in that game.
I think were a better basketball team now than we were at that time, said Yopp. Its important for us to go out and play hard for 40 minutes and play with confidence. I think this team will be ready to do those things.
