Katie Donovan scored 29 points and Jaci M cCormack added 18 to as Illinois State piled-up a 17-point lead early in the second half, but had to hold-off Northern Iowa for an 83-74 win, the sixth straight for the Redbirds in the Missouri Valley Conference season opener for both teams.
The Redbirds, 7-3, have equalled their 2002-03 season win total in just 10 games, hitting 47.8 percent from the field to just 35.8 percent for UNI. The Birds also set a Redbird Arena record with 44 free throw attempts, making 31, with Donovan breaking the player record with 13 made and 16 attempted. Redbird coach Robin Pingeton thought her team was resilient in a tough second half.
It was a tough second half for us, but we still scored 40 points, said Pingeton. We bend but dont break. We hit our free throws down the stretch, but we were very disappointed with the rebounding. If we want to compete at the level we want to compete, we have to do a better job on the boards.
ISU made 8 pf 17 three-pointers, including 3-6 by McCormack. Taren OBriens 12 points and Erin Keeneys 11 gave ISU four players in double figures scoring. Keeney matched a career-high with 9rebounds, but UNI had a 51-36 edge on the boards.
Donovan scored seven points in the first six minutes as the Birds took a 14-6 lead, hitting 5 of their first 9 shots to 3-13 for UNI. ISU expanded that lead to 43-30 at halftime thanks to 13-18 free throws. Donovan and McCormack each had 14 points at the intermission. Amy Swisher, who had 35 against the Birds in last years UNI-ISU game in Normal, had just four at halftime, but finished with 18 to lead UNI.
After Swisher hit a three-pointer to start the second half and cut the lead to 43-33, Redbird coach Robin Pingeton called time out less than 30 seconds into the second half. With renewed energy, ISU got three-pointers from McCormack,
Keeney and Dononvan, ISU stretched the lead to 54-47 with 16:29 left.
Northern Iowa battled back, though, with Jessie Biggs hitting a pair of three-pointers and Emily Berry hitting a layup and a three as UNI sliced the lead to 60-51 with 10:27 left. Cook cut that to a 60-53 with a rebound basket with 7:20 left, but Cook fouled out 29 seconds later with 15 points and 14 rebounds.
The Panthers kept battling, though, slicing the lead to 63-59 on Tara Kings baseline jumper with 5:05 left. After Zora Skrabalova split a pair of free throws with 4:59 left and Kim Hansens spin move under the UNI basket got the Panthers within 64-61 at the 4:40 mark. Donovan answered with a driving layup 14 seconds later and added two free throws with 3:14 left to stretch the lead to seven.
UNI used 28 offensive rebounds to stay in the game. Keeney saluted the Northern Iowa effort under the basket.
They are a strong, physical team, said Keeney. They went harder to their offensive boards than we did. Thats something we definitely have to work on.
UNI coach Tony DiCecco saluted the improvement in Illinois States team.
Theres a difference between wanting to win and having the will to win, and Robin has the will to win and Robin has the will to win, said DiCecco. Believe me, its only going to get better here. Robin is the difference.
The Redbirds finish a string of three straight home games with a 2:05 p.m. tip Sunday against Bradley at Redbird Arena.
