Jan. 27, 2006
Des Moines, Iowa -
Forty-eight hours after earning their first women's basketball win at Creighton, the Illinois State Redbirds will try to end a similarly-agonizing streak at Drake--11 straight losses. The `Birds have not beaten the Bulldogs in Des Moines since 1994. Saturday's game starts at 7:05 p.m. in the Knapp Center.
Redbird coach Robin Pingeton, who was an assistant at Drake in the early 1990s, has a simple answer for why Drake is so tough to beat in the Knapp Center. Pingeton's crew is trying for its fourth straight league win, which would match the longest Illinois State league winning streak since 1997, when the `Birds reeled-off eight straight league wins.
"Historically, Drake has been a tough place to play because they have had very good teams which are exceptionally good on their home court," said Pingeton. "This year, with every team in the conference fighting for position in the standings, it's particularly tough to win on the road."
Home court advantage took on a higher level of meaning in the Missouri Valley Conference in January: from Jan. 7 to Jan. 22, the home team won 23 times in 25 league games. The Redbirds, 8-9 overall, 3-5 in the Valley, helped quell that trend with a 71-68 win Thursday in Omaha. With Indiana State's 92-87 double-overtime win at Drake, 8-9, 4-4, and UNI's win at Wichita State, three of four Valley games on Thursday were won by the teams in the dark jerseys.
"The league is just so balanced," said Pingeton. "You can expect a dogfight every night with every team trying to protect its home court. Drake has lost three straight games, so we know they will be hungry and ready for us."
Drake got plenty of balance in its hard-fought loss to Indiana State, the undefeated Valley leaders. Jill Martin led the Bulldogs with 22 points and had backing from Lindsay Whorton and Linda Sayavongchanh with 20 each. It was the first time in Drake history three players scored 20 or more in the same game, but those efforts were trumped by Indiana State's Melanie Boeglin, who scored 46 points--an Indiana State record.
Pingeton believes her team made huge strides in its win at Creighton, ending an 0-14 run of futility against the Bluejays. Five Redbirds scored in double figures led by Kristi Cirone and Megan McCracken with 13 each. After leading by 11 in the first half, the Redbirds saw Creighton take an eight-point lead into the final six minutes. But ISU out-scored Creighton 21-10 down the stretch, including big baskets by Cirone, McCracken and Lashawn Johnson, who put the `Birds ahead to stay with a three-point play with 46 seconds left in the game.
"We definitely showed great signs of maturity and poise in our play, especially in a tight game on the road," said Pingeton. "I think the Drake game will be a lot like our Creighton game--a game of runs. That means we have to come out of the gate locked in right from the start."
The Valley enters the final day of the first half of the season with 8-0 Indiana State at the top, 1-7 Bradley at the bottom and the other eight teams all with either three, four or five wins.
"Just two games separating second place from ninth place shows just how balanced our league our league is," said Pingeton. "Every game is huge."
During their three-game winning streak, the Redbirds have held opponents to 58.3 points per game and .351 field goal percentage. ISU also has out-rebounded opponents 40.7 to 37.3 led by Holly Hallstrom, who is second in the Valley in rebounding with 9.1 per game.
After Saturday, the `Birds play three straight league games at home starting with a 4:05 p.m. Saturday tip against Indiana State. The Sycamores have won 14 in a row.
