Nov. 3, 2006
Illinois State-Odyssey Game Notes in PDF Format
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NORMAL, Ill. - The Illinois State women's basketball team will take the court competitively for the first time this season when they host Odyssey in the first of its two scheduled exhibition games Saturday afternoon at Redbird Arena. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:05 p.m.
Admission to the game is free for anyone who presents their ISU-Missouri State football ticket from earlier in the day.
After more than two weeks of practice, Redbird head coach Robin Pingeton is anxious to see her team in a competitive environment for the first time this season.
"We want to use this game as a measuring stick," said Pingeton. "It's always different in a game situation than in practice. After two weeks of practice, you may think you're pretty good at something, but after playing that first game, you may find out that is not necessarily the case, and vice versa. After tomorrow, we should be able to narrow down what needs to be worked on, and the things we think we are pretty good at as a team. It's just a chance for us to see where we are competitively."
Pingeton is pleased with how quickly the players have picked up on the implementation of Illinois State's system on both ends of the floor.
"I've been impressed with a lot of things so far in practice. We have a lot of veterans on this team who really understand our system. We've moved along a lot faster than in past years as far as our implementation goes. I've been very pleased with how quickly the players have picked up on our front court defense, and how they have understood the incorporation of our offensive sets."
Illinois State is 5-1 in exhibition games under Pingeton. Of those five wins, two have come against Odyssey. The Redbirds are playing Odyssey in an exhibition game for the fourth consecutive season.
The Redbirds were picked to finish fifth in the 2006-07 preseason Missouri Valley Conference poll at Monday's league media day in St. Louis. Sophomore point guard Kristi Cirone, the defending Valley Newcomer of the Year, was one of six players named to the All-MVC preseason team.
Illinois State will wrap up its exhibition schedule Tuesday (Nov. 7) when they host Northwest Missouri State.
