Although their records are nearly identical, the Illinois State and Wichita State womens basketball teams will present contrasting styles in a 2:05 p.m. Missouri Valley Conference match-up Sunday in Redbird Arena.
The Redbirds, 4-9, 1-3 in the Valley, had a shooting percentage in Fridays 80-57 loss to SMS that closely approximated the single-digit Central Illinois temperatures outside. But, normally, the Birds average 70 points per game and more than eight three-point field goals per contest.
The Shockers, 4-10, 1-4 in the Valley, average just 58 points per game and have made just 31 three-pointers in 14 games this season. Thats just three more than the Redbirds made in back-to-back games against Texas-El Paso (12) and Illinois (16) earlier this season. Veteran coach Jane Albright, like ISUs Robin Pingeton, is in her second season at Wichita State and in the throes of a rebuilding project.
Illinois States long-range sharp-shootersNo. 4 in the nation in three-point field goals per game--hit a season-low three of 24 from beyond the arc against SMS. The busiest of the Redbird three-point shooters---Jaci McCormack,
Megan McCracken and Katie Donovan---combined for just 1 of 13. In the previous five games, they were shooting .500 from three-point range and had produced 39 three-pointers7.8 per contest.
Pingeton understands that shooting can be inconsistent.
Some nights, the shots just dont fall and (against SMS) they didnt fall in the first half, said Pingeton, whose team shot 27 percent while falling behind 38-22 in the first 20 minutes against the Bears.
The solution is to move on, according to Pingeton.
Fortunately, we dont get a chance to dwell on it too much, said Pingeton. Hopefully, you learn from it, you pick yourself up, brush yourself off and get going again.
Although her shooting was off, McCormack produced a glittering stat line otherwise against the Bears with seven rebounds, four assists and four stealsall team highs. Another Friday bright spot was freshman guard Ashley Sandstead, whose 10 points came in just 16 minutes.
WSUs leading scorer is senior Aubrey Cameron with 12 points per game. Junior Antionette Wells has been on a rebounding binge of latedouble figures in each of her last three games.
Last year, the teams split with the visitors winning both times. Donovan scored 26 and Taren OBrien made three key defensive plays in the final six minutes as ISU won at Wichita State 81-76 in overtime. The Shockers limited ISU to just 3 of 20 three-pointers to win 71-67 at Redbird Arena.
