Jan. 1, 2006
Box Score
NORMAL, Ill. -
A career-high 13 points by Tiffany Hudson and a 16-point game production from Amber Shelton was just not enough to lift the Illinois State Redbirds over the Evansville Purple Aces in Missouri Valley Conference action at Redbird Arena. The Redbirds dropped their second league game 78-62 to the Purple Aces in front of a 1,598 crowd on New Year's Day.
Megan Liffick led the Aces with 23 points and anchored an Evansville defense which held Redbird top scorers Kristi Cirone and Megan McCracken without a field goal in the first five minutes. Cirone finished the game 2-for-9 from the field and McCracken just 1-for-10.
Illinois State fell to 5-6 overall and 0-2 in Missouri Valley Conference play, while Evansville moves to 5-6 overall and 1-1 in the league.
In the opening half, Evansville jumped out to an early lead with an 11-1 run in the first four minutes of play. Evansville's Rebekah Parker got the Aces off to a fast start hitting a quick jumper. But five early ISU turnovers helped the Aces roll to an 11-1 lead as Olivia Grant sank two lay-ups and Megan Liffick added a lay-up and a three-point play at the 16-minute mark.
The Redbirds answered with a run of their own and Holly Hallstrom's three-point play at 11:45 brought the `Birds within three at 16-13. But the Aces answered with another long run (11-0) in the next four minutes to extend the lead to 27-13. Evansville went on to take its biggest lead of the half at 33-18 with five minutes to play.
The defense helped UE get a 47-34 halftime lead. Cirone thought her team didn't react well to Evansville's pressure.
"They played mostly man to man on us and they looked to double up on Megan and I can see that continue in the future," said Cirone. "We need to work on not getting ourselves in a hole and playing smarter, If we're able to do that then everything else will come."
After an 0-2 start in the Valley, Hudson thinks her team can improve.
"Our intensity can always be better. We definitely need to pick it up," said Hudson. "We tried to be more intense. That's a big part of what we need to do and we're just not their yet."
Redbird coach Robin Pingeton will have her team back to work at practice this week.
"We're obviously not where we need to be or where we planned to be this time of the year," said Pingeton. "We just need to keep going to work and find something that fits. We have a lot of work ahead of us, but I still believe in them. We're not going to throw in the towel. We will get better."
The `Birds will travel to Terre Haute, Ind. on January 7 for a 1:05 p.m. (central time) tip-off against the Indiana State Sycamores in the first of three Missouri Valley Conference road games.
