Dec. 21, 2006
Illinois State-UW-Green Bay Game Notes in PDF Format
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NORMAL, Ill. - The Illinois State women's basketball team will play its second game in three days, and the final non-conference contest of the 2006-07 season when the `Birds visit Wisconsin-Green Bay Friday in a rescheduled game from the Phoenix Sports Center. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.
Due to inclement interstate travel conditions on Dec. 1, Illinois State was not able to make the trip north to Wisconsin, but both teams were able to agree upon Friday's make-up date prior to beginning league play after Jan. 1.
The Redbirds (7-3) had their five-game winning streak snapped with a 74-67 loss at Iowa State Wednesday night. ISU erased a 13-point second-half deficit to take a two-point lead with less than eight minutes remaining, before seeing the Cyclones finish the game on a 15-6 run to claim their sixth straight victory.
Despite the loss, ISU head coach Robin Pingeton, the former associate head coach at Iowa State, was proud to see the development of her team as the non-conference portion of the season draws to a close.
"I feel like we have a really good ball club right now," said Pingeton. "We showed (Wednesday) that we can compete with very good teams, but we still have to shore up some things. In order to beat a team as talented as Iowa State, you've got to limit your breakdowns. A missed box out, or breakdown defensively can really hurt you in those types of games. Great teams are going to make you pay for having breakdowns on both ends of the floor.
"We're a good team, and we're really close to being a great team. But we have to continue to stay locked in, and we will have an opportunity to prove ourselves again on Friday (against UW-Green Bay)."
Wisconsin-Green Bay (7-3) is riding a current four-game winning streak with victories over Iowa, Indiana State, Wisconsin and Chicago State. The Phoenix is ranked second in the NCAA with just 12.3 turnovers per game and is also 18th in the country in three-point field goals per game. UW-Green Bay's starting five are all in the top-20 in the Horizon League in scoring.
Wisconsin-Green Bay has compiled seven consecutive 20-win seasons. Last season, they advanced to the second-round of the WNIT.
"Wisconsin-Green Bay has a very strong tradition, and it is a program that has been consistently ranked among the top-25 in the nation," Pingeton said. "They are a tough team that has experienced success at a very high level. Kevin Borseth is a highly respected coach, and has done a great job there. We anticipate this game being a battle for 40 minutes."
The `Birds will have one week off before opening Missouri Valley Conference play Dec. 29 against Creighton as part of a doubleheader with the ISU men's basketball team at Redbird Arena.
