Same overall records (14-8). Same Missouri Valley Conference records (8-5). Same initials (ISU). Same schedule after playing each other. Illinois State and Indiana State meet in womens basketball at 1:05 p.m. (central time) Sunday at the Hulman Center to answer the question whats the difference?
As travel partners, Illinois State and Indiana State swap opponents for eight of the 10 Missouri Valley weekends and play each other on the other two. The first time they met, the Sycamores beat the Birds 83-73 in Redbird Arena, holding Illinois State to 33 percent from the field while riding Erin Rhodes 20 points and Kristen Weddles 15 to victory.
According to Illinois State coach Robin Pingeton, the Sycamore defense makes a difference. The pressure had the Birds missing some easy shots in the first Indiana State game.
Theyre very aggressive, trapping all over the place, said Pingeton, whose Redbirds have a three-game winning streak on the line along with the opportunity to post a winning record at Illinois State for the first time since 1997-98. We counted probably double-digit bunnies (easy shots) that we missed the last time we played them. We got so concerned with their defense that I think we played tight. We cant do that this time.
Illinois States offense, averaging 76. 8 points per game in league contests, ranks No. 26 in the nation in scoring and No. 8 in three-point field goal shooting behind the 21.5 points-per-game offense of Katie Donovan, the nations No. 6 scorer. Donovan has plenty of scoring help, though, as Illinois State had five players score in double figures in both the Evansville and Southern Illinois victories last weekend. Taren OBrien scored 20 in an 85-63 route at Southern Illinois. Donovans 20 in an 84-80 win at Evansville were backed by Beth Huston and Erin Keeney with 13 each. With Zora Skrabalova at 9.9, the Birds are a bucket away from having four players averaging in double figures as Donovan (21.5), Jaci McCormack (11.2) and OBrien (10.6) are already hitting double figures.
Indiana States firepower includes Erin Rhodes (14.3), Stephanie Lisch (11.8) and Melanie Boeglin (10.7).
Indiana State coach Jim Wiedie, whose team rolled-up 187 points in road wins at SIU and Evansville last weekend, sees the value of this game, which will likely put the winner in third place and the loser dropping to fifth. Both ISUs play SMS and Wichita State at home next weekend before finishing the regular season at Bradley and at Northern Iowa the first weekend in March.
Whoever comes out on top in this game has a leg up going into those other games, said Wiedie. That was probably one of the better road wins weve had this season. We hit some big shots and our defense was semi-decent considering the way weve played defense on the road lately.
Wiedie believes his team got an adreneline shot for the final three weeks of the Valley season with the return from injury of Lisa Verhoff, an 11.3 per game scorer. Indiana State was 6-5 during her 11 games out of action.
We felt her impact considerably starting in Carbondale, said Wiedie. She was able to step right in and hit some big three pointers and she is always agressive defensively. Her presence in our half-court defense are important. She is one of our quickest players.
The Redbirds return home the following Thursday for a special 8:05 p.m. start to a match-up with league-leading SMS.
