The No. 8 seed Illinois State Redbirds (10-17, 7-11) will meet regular-season champion and No. 1 seed Southwest Missouri State (20-7, 15-3)the tournaments two-time defending champions--in the first round of the 2005 State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Womens Basketball Championship Thursday at Redbird Arena. The Redbirds and Bears play Game Three in the first round, tipping off at 6 p.m.
The tournament returns to Redbird Arena for the first time in 16 years, but the Bears have won seven of the intervening 15 tournaments. Illinois States last league tournament title was in 1989, Redbird Arenas inaugural season of operation.
The No. 2 seed Indiana State Sycamores (20-7, 13-5), winners of 12 of their last 13 games, get the tournament started against No. 7 seed Bradley (15-12, 8-10), which is fresh from a sweep of a season-ending trip to SMS and Wichita State. Indiana State and Bradley start at noon and No. 3 seed Creighton (19-8, 13-5), the defending Womens National Invitation Tournament Champions, takes on No. 6 seed Drake (13-14, 8-10) at 2:30 p.m. in the second quarterfinal. Drake has won the tournament five times in the past 11 seasons.
Following Illinois State and SMS, No. 4 Northern Iowa (19-10, 13-5) meets No. 5 Evansville (17-10, 10-8) at 8:30 p.m. The Panthers fourth seed is a bit misleadingwith a win Saturday at SMS, UNI would have tied for the league title and earned the No. 1 seed. Evansvilles fifth seed is four notches higher than the Aces place in the preseason poll. UE was picked ninth.
Tickets for the tournament are available at the Redbird Arena Ticket Office beginning Monday morning. The ticket office phone is (309) 438-8000. The semi-finals are at 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Friday, with the championship game at 3 p.m. Saturday. The winner gets an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Thursday at Redbird Arena, Normal, Ill.
Game One -- Noon -- #2 Indiana State (20-7, 13-5) vs. #7 Bradley (15-12, 8-10)
Game Two 2:30 p.m. -- #3 Creighton (19-8, 13-5) vs. #6 Drake (13-14, 8-10)
Game Three 6 p.m. -- #1 SMS (20-7, 15-3) vs. #8 Illinois State (10-17, 7-11)
Game Four 8:30 p.m. -- #4 Northern Iowa (19-10, 13-5) vs. No. 5 Evansville (17-10, 10-8)
Friday at Redbird Arena, Normal, Ill.
Semifinal One 6 p.m. Winner Game One vs. Winner Game Two
Semifinal Two 8:30 p.m. Winner Game Three vs. Winner Game Four
Saturday at Redbird Arena, Normal, Ill.
Championship 3 p.m. Winner Semifinal One vs. Winner Semifinal Two
