According to the Richie Summerville RPI, Illinois State had the top-ranked womens basketball strength of schedule in the Missouri Valley Conference in 2004-05. The Redbirds, after a 10-17 regular-season, beat three 20-win teams in 45 hours to win the State Farm-Missouri Valley Conference Tournament. The Birds were eliminated in the first round of the NCAA Tournament by eventual champion Baylor.
Summerville has been compiling an RPI replicated after the one used in mens basketball for 10 years. The Redbirds 2004-05 strength of schedule ranked No. 58 among the nations 324 Division I womens basketball team. ISU, which finished 13-18, had an RPI ranked No. 132, sixth in the Valley. Redbird coach Robin Pingeton values strong scheduling.
Playing a great schedule always helps your team and it is part of what drives us for success at Illinois State, said Pingeton.
The Redbirds first-round loss to eventual NCAA Champion Baylor marked the second time in the 24-year history of the NCAA Womens Basketball Tournament that a champion has beaten a Valley team on its way to the title (1991 champion Tennessee eliminated SMS in the second round). Two other Valley teams have lost to the eventual national runner-up: Purdue knocked out SMS in 2001 and Western Kentucky beat the Bears in 1992both times in the national semifinals.
Illinois States 70 points in the 91-70 loss to Baylor were the most scored against the Lady Bears in the NCAA Tournament. Just four other teams scored more points against Baylor (Penn State, Oklahoma, Creighton and Iowa State) this season.
Baylors championship was no surprise to Pingeton.
Before we played Baylor, we could see on film that they were a great team, said Pingeton. When we played them, you could tell they are among the nations elite teams. They have so many great athletes.
The Redbirds, who set a school record with 221 three-point field goals this season, were No. 13 in the nation in three-point field goals per game (7.1 per game). Illinois State was part of another banner year for offense in the Valleythe league ranked No. 2 in three-pointers per game and No. 5 in points per game among the nations 31 NCAA Division I conferences. Illinois State also was one of eight Valley teams in the top 70 (55th) nationally in three-point field goal percentage, one of six Valley squads in the top 80 (62nd) in scoring and one of five in the top 70 (56th) in field goal percentage.
The Valley had three teams make the 2005 Womens NIT, including eventual champion SMS. Over the past seven seasons, the Valley has had 26 teams earn post-season national tournament bids. Pingeton claims that the future looks even brighter for Valley teams, which have a reputation for playing hard.
People who play against our league know that we have blue-collar players with a lot of heart and the desire to be successful, said Pingeton. With the players coming back and coming into this conference, we think the Valley is getting ready to rise to a whole new level. Its exciting.
Redbird senior Jaci McCormack, whose turnaround jumper with 0.8 seconds left in the championship game of the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament gave Illinois State a 72-70 win and an NCAA bid, ranked No. 28 in the nation in three-point field goal percentage (.404) and was one of six Valley players among the top 50 individuals in three-point field goal percentage.
