Jan. 18, 2006
Normal, Ill. -
When a losing streak hits, teams and coaches sometimes look for excuses, point out hardships and blame bad breaks. Despite an 0-5 conference record, the Illinois State University women's basketball team is doing none of the above. The Redbirds took a solid work ethic and confidence into preparing for a 7:05 p.m. Friday game with Missouri State at Redbird Arena.
Redbird junior Megan McCracken, who has come back from a hip injury early in the season and is playing despite a tendon-damaged finger on her shooting hand, says her team is doing everything it can to prepare for victory.
"We're fighting hard in practice and doing what we can do to get better," said McCracken, who is averaging 11.2 points per game since her return to the lineup. "We're not down. I think our team has a lot of confidence. After our game at Northern Iowa, we had a solid practice the next day and, after practice was over, most of the team stayed around to work on shooting, free throws, ballhandling ... this team is working to improve."
Head coach Robin Pingeton agrees. Her team, one of the two youngest in the Valley, is 5-9 for the season and hasn't won since Dec. 18 at UTEP, but she admires the team's work ethic.
"This is a coach's dream team," said Pingeton. "These kids want to learn and want to get better. They put in the extra time. They work hard in practice. We just need to learn to carry that work ethic into the game. I think we're on the verge. We have to understand how to value the ball on every possession; to get a shot and not turn the ball over on offense, to not give up that offensive rebound on the defensive end."
Spurts of cold shooting and ineffective defense have put Illinois State in difficult straits in most of the losses. Bradley had a 24-2 run in the first half of a 71-63 win over the Redbirds Sunday in Peoria. The Redbirds responded with a second-half sprint to cut a 19-point lead to four with six minutes left. But then, problems arose.
"From the six-minute mark to the three-minute mark at Bradley, we missed the front ends of a pair of one-and-one free throws," said Pingeton, whose team lost starting guard Ashley Sandstead and starting center Nicolle Lewis to knee injuries in late December. "We also gave up two offensive rebounds which Bradley turned into baskets and we turned the ball over twice. We made a great comeback to get close and had opportunities, but didn't get what we needed from them."
The Redbird lineup has been making adjustments lately, but freshman guard Kristi Cirone and senior forward Holly Hallstrom both have established themselves among the Valley leaders in statistical categories. Cirone is the only freshman in the Valley who ranks in the top 10 in the league in more than two categories. She is No. 2 in assists, No. 3 in assist/turnover ratio, No. 7 in three-point field goals per game and minutes played and No. 10 in scoring. Hallstrom is No. 3 in the league and No. 28 in the nation in field goal percentage. Hallstrom also is No. 2 in the league in rebounding.
Missouri State, 8-6 overall, 2-3 in the Valley, features senior guard Kari Koch, the No. 2 scorer in the nation at 22.5 points per game. She also leads the Valley in three-point field goals per game (3.4) and ranks No. 5 in the nation in that department.
"Kari Koch is, arguably, the best offensive player in the conference," said Pingeton. "They've had some injuries, too and she carries a heavy load for that team. But they have players like (Sarah) Klaassen who've been through this league for two or three years and know what to expect."
Koch and Klaassen were key components in Missouri State's Women's National Invitation Tournament championship after the 2004-05 season.
The Redbirds will continue their home weekend against Wichita State at 2:05 p.m. Sunday in Redbird Arena.
