Fans who like fast-paced basketball will get their wish if they accept the Jill Hutchison Challenge to put 4,000 fans in the Redbird Arena stands for Saturday's 2 p.m. match-up between Illinois State and Indiana State, two teams with similar styles and identical records.
Hutchison, Illinois State's head coach from 1970-99, now broadcasts Illinois State games on radio and Missouri Valley Conference contests for Fox Sports. She issued her challenge Tuesday during the Robin Pingeton Show on WJBC radio. If the fans respond, it would be the largest home crowd in Redbird basketball history.
Whatever number that shows up will see a pair of teams which have made basketball look like something of a track meet this season. They combine to average 150 points per game, mostly by using pressure defense and quick-acceleration offense from a pair of teams with identical 10-5 overall and 4-2 Missouri Valley Conference records.
Pingeton pointed out that the teams have played the same six Valley opponents at the same sites with the same results, including convincing victories over Southern Illinois and Evansville last weekend.
"The stats are closse in almost all categories," said Pingeton. "There is an almost identical margin ov victory for both teams in recent games. We both struggled at Creighton and Drake and both have been very tough at home. We'll have our hands full. We have a lot of respect for Indiana State; we will get pressed for 40 minutes."
After six league games, Illinois State has out-scored its opponents by 59 points and Indiana State has 55 more points than its foes in league games.
The Sycamore pressure produces an average of 24 turnovers per game by opponents. That frequently starts a Sycamore fast berak run by reigning Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week Melanie Boeglin.
Sycamore coach Jim Wiedie wants his team to try and put the brakes on the Redbird running attack.
"We have to lmiit their transition opportunities," said Wiedie, whose Sycamore teams are 5-1 against Illinois State. "The biggest difference (between last year and this year) for Illinois State is pace. They get the ball up the court quickly with a pass, or they get it to Taren O'Brien and push it. You have to keep players like O'Brien and (Katie) Donovan from getting penetration."
O'Brien's efforts against Evansville and SIU last weekend were exceptional. Hitting 12 of 20 field goals, including 3 of 7 from three-point range, O'Brien averaged 15 points, 7 assists and 5 steals per game. She and guard-mate Jaci McCormack have combined for 77 steals this season--nine more than the duo collected in 28 games last year. McCormack has gone from 33 to 41 and O'Brien's increase is from 29 to 36.
Boeglin has 57 steals and 79 assists for the Sycamores and is one of four Indiana State players scoring in double figures. Post player Erin Rhodes, 15.8 points and 7.3 rebounds, leads the Sycamores in both categories. Donovan, with 20.8 points per game, is No. 12 in the nation and No. 1 in the Valley in scoring. Erin Keeney's 6.0 rebounds per game leads Illinois State.
The Indiana State game finishes five home games in the first seven league games for Illinois State, which heads for the 'Bearmuda Triangle" next weekend to play at Wichita State on Thursday and at SMS on Saturday.
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