Illinois State womens basketball coach Robin Pingeton is grateful that her team is at home and looks forward to the 7:05 p.m. Wednesday contest with Ball State as a test of her teams mental toughness.
There is not a better time to be at home, playing in Redbird Arena, said Pingeton. We can focus on our team and the improvements we need to make to get better. We need this kind of test right now.
The Redbirds, 0-3, battle the Cardinals, 2-2, with some things on their mind, according to Pingeton.
The two motivating factors for us is that they beat us by 20 last year and were coming off three losses, said Pingeton, whose team dropped an 87-64 decision a year ago in Muncie. But our players approach is different this year. Last year, they wanted to win. This year, they expect to win. Right now, were not satisfied with our toughness. Our attention to detail and intensity have to get better.
To do that against Ball State, the Birds will have to contend with one of the best players in recent history at Ball State, junior forward Kate Endress. Her 15.0 points per game include free throw perfection (10-10 for the season) and 57 percent on three-point shots (8-14).
Kate Endress will be a handful, said Pingeton, whose Redbirds want to improve their team defense after giving up 105 points to Kansas State last weekend at the Junkanoo Jam in the Bahamas. Ball State has a very good coaching staff and they will be prepared.
The Redbirds shot just 34 percent from the field and 28 percent from the free throw line in a 66-60 loss to Stephen F. Austin. Since the Birds shot 43 percent for the season last year from the field and 73 percent from the free throw line, Pingeton believes that was a blip on the screen.
Stephen F. Austin is a game we should have won, said Pingeton. When you consider that we lost by six and missed 13 free throwsincluding the front half of one-and-oneswe know we had a chance to win that game. Stephen F. Austin had everything roll in for them and we just couldnt hit anything and didnt get the defensive stops we needed.
While Pingeton awaits the debut of sophomore point guard
Megan McCracken in the lineup, she has been getting a noticeable performance out of at least one of her newcomers every game so far. Junior college transfer center Holly Hallstrom scored 23 and freshman guard Ashley Sandstead scored 11 at No. 10 Notre Dame. Freshman Lashawn Johnson had 11 rebounds against No. 16 Kansas State and Amber Shelton had 12 points and 7 rebounds against Stephen F. Austin.
Amber Shelton played very well in the Stephen F. Austin game, said Pingeton. We just need to find, as a team, a consistent intensity. Were feisty now. Were driven. Were going to be more disciplined on defense. Those things come from experience.
Ball State will challenge ISUs defense. The Cardinals are shooting 47 percent from three-point range and 79 percent from the field, averaging 72.5 points per game. Katie Donovan leads the Redbirds with 19 points per game. Five other Birds average between 7.0 and 9.3 points per game.
The Redbirds play their second home game against Oakland at 7:05 p.m. Friday in Redbird Arena.
