A school record-setting 220 three-point field goals and 7.59 made per game placed Illinois State No. 4 in the nation and helped the Missouri Valley Conference become the nations No. 1 conference in three-point field goals per game.
All those treys helped the Redbirds finish 16-13, the most improved record of the nations 40 teams with first-year coaches. Under Robin Pingetons leadership, Illinois State won nine more games than in 2002-03 with a brand new offensive style which included more three-pointers than ever at Illinois State.
I think players like shooting the three and like playing on teams which shoot a lot of threes, said Pingeton, whose team improved from 59 points per game to 72 for the season. I think the three-pointer generates a lot of energy and puts a lot of excitement in the game.
The three-pointer figures to stay in the mix at Illinois State. Pingetons 2004-05 team will include her three best three-point shooters from this season: Katie Donovan (59 in 2003-04), Jaci McCormack (55) and Erin Keeney (37). Donovan led the Valley in scoring and finished the season No. 19 in the nation with a 19.9 average.
With conference champion Southwest Missouri State ranked No. 1 and WNIT champion Creighton at No. 3, the Valley had three teams in the top four in NCAA three-pointers per game. Belmont, a member of the Atlantic Sun Conference, finished No. 2. Behind Illinois State were Villanova (5th), Stanford (6th), Idaho State (7th), Eastern Michigan (8th), Iowa State (9th) and South Carolina (10th).
Valley teams averaged 5.90 three-pointers per game. The Ohio Valley, Ivy League, Mountain West and Southeastern conferences round out the top five, followed by the Mid-American, Northeast, Conference USA, the Horizon League and the Pacific 10.
