Getting a chance to play in the State Farm-Missouri Valley Conference Tournament is an advancement for Illinois State and head coach Jenny Yopp hopes her Redbirds will play more relaxed when they face No. 1 seed Creighton at 6 p.m. Thursday in the Knapp Center in Des Moines.
Even though the Birds have been getting good shots, they have not hit more than 37 percent from the field in any of their last five games. Yopp thinks her team can get rid of its shooting tightness.
I think we can shoot the ball with confidence and be relaxed, said Yopp. What Im really impressed with (in practice) is our energy and execution.
The Redbirds took a couple of days off after their final regular-season game at Indiana State, and have come back with a renewed enthusiasm in practice.
We have the extra energy to be sharper, said Yopp. Little things are showing up to demonstrate that sharpness: better spacing on offense, getting two hands on the ball to secure rebounds, setting solid screens. Those things usually translate into game situations.
Even though her team is excited about its Valley tournament bid, Yopp admires its business-like attitude.
In post-season, you cant be caught up in the emotion, said Yopp. Emotion wears off after a time. Solid execution, resiliency and toughness through 40 minutes is what makes the difference and Im confident this team will be prepared to do that. The work ethic and intensity have certainly been there.
Although the Redbirds have struggled to score points lately, sophomore guard Jaci McCormack has developed a consistency which has vaulted her to ISUs scoring leadership. Scoring in double figures in eight of her last 10 games, McCormack has averaged 12.7 points per game during that time.
Her 46 three-pointers are the Redbird record by a sophomore player. She also has hit a three-point shot in 14 straight games, the third-longest streak of its kind by an Illinois State player. Jenny Schmidt had two strings of 25 straight games with at least one trey. McCormacks 46 treys eclipsed Schmidts sophomore record set in 1996-97.
