The Illinois State basketball team has been streaky; three losses followed by seven wins followed by two losses. Evansvilles results sheet looks like the diagram of a dribble. The Aces, 6-6, alternated victory and defeat with amazing regularity, winning odd-numbered games and losing even-numbered contests.
The bad news for Illinois State, 8-5, 2-2 in the Valley? The Aces lost their last game, 65-62 at Southern Illinois. Believers in the interia of patterns would make UE the favorite in Fridays 7:05 p.m. match-up at Illinois States Redbird Arena. The good news for the Redbirds is that they have won their last five games on their home court.
Evansvilles results sheet looks like a promotion for the alternating possession arrow, but it signifies a conference first. Since the NCAA era began for womens basketball in 1981-82, no current Valley team has ever alternated a win and a loss more than 10 times. Bradley started a 10-game alternating streak late in 1985-86 and finished it at the start of the following year. Drake bounced from win to loss in 10 games in 1991-92. UE goes for 13 on Friday.
Aces coach Tricia Cullop is perplexed at her teams ability to alternate wins and losses with such regularity.
I dont know what it is, but it has to stop because its driving me crazy, said Cullop.
But Redbird coach Robin Pingeton points to her own teams unexplainable phenomena. During its back-to-back road losses at Creighton and Drake, Pingetons team had eight turnovers against the hard-pressure Creighton defense, but 29 against Drakes position-oriented scheme.
I cant explain it, said Pingeton. I dont know how our team can have 29 turnovers against a Drake team which doesnt press after just eight against Creighton, which presses 94 feet for 40 minutes. We obviously werent ready to play at Drake.
Pingeton has seen some consistency. Senior center Zora Skrabalova made all nine of her shots on the way to 20 points at Drake. Skrabalova is averaging 15.7 over her last three games. Junior guard Jaci McCormack had a career-high 6 steals at Drake, giving her 34 in her last nine games--one more than she had in 28 games last season.
Evansville counters Skrabalovas power with Jamie Gray, one of the leagues most consistent post players over the last three years. Gray is approaching 1100 career points and 700 career rebounds. Shes third in the Valley in both categories this season, averaging 17.6 points and 9.6 rebounds.
The Birds continue their three-game homestand with a 4:05 p.m. game Sunday against Southern Illinois.
