Feb. 26, 2006
Box Score
NORMAL, Ill. -
Senior Holly Hallstrom recorded her 10th double-double for the season in her final home game at Redbird Arena, scoring 20 points and grabbing 12 rebounds as Illinois State swept the season series for the first time against Creighton, 75-61, in a Missouri Valley Conference women's basketball game Sunday.
Illinois State, 11-14 overall, 6-10 in the Valley, had three players in double figures, with Kristi Cirone scoring 18 points and dishing out five assists and Amber Shelton adding 13 points for the `Birds. The Redbirds dominated in the paint, where ISU outscored Creighton 36-20.
The Redbirds' bid for a top-six seed in the 2006 State Farm Missouri Valley Conference got needed help from other games. With Missouri State's 70-63 loss at Bradley and Wichita State's 70-64 overtime loss at UNI, the `Birds are just one-half game out of fifth place. The Shockers and Bears play each other in Wichita in the season finale for both teams, now 7-10 in the Valley.
Creighton, 6-18, 4-12, lost its 12th consecutive game while being out-rebounded by the `Birds, 40-26. The Bluejays' Angie Janis led all scorers with 27 points, and Ally Thrall added 11 points and four assists. The Bluejays lost their No. 3 scoring threat, Kristi Woodard, to a shoulder injury five minutes into the second half.
Creighton led 9-7 early before a 10-0 scoring run, backed by five points from Hallstrom, gave the Redbirds a 17-9 advantage with 12:34 remaining. After two Bluejay baskets, Shelton scored six points on three consecutive trips down the floor, and Cirone capped off an 8-0 run with an athletic catch and lay up from Tiffany Hudson to give the `Birds the largest lead of the half at 25-13. But the Bluejays were able to cut into the Redbirds' lead, trailing by only one at the half at 34-33 as the Bluejays ended on a 7-0 scoring run capped by Janis' bucket to give her 14 points at intermission.
Lori Trumblee scored on a put back to give the Redbirds a 36-33 lead to begin the second half, but the Bluejays were able to tie the game at 36-36 on a three-pointer from Amy Hoffman. The Redbirds regained the lead by breaking the Bluejays' press with a Cirone three, and then a lay-up from Shelton off a steal by Hudson--ISU led 41-36 lead with 17:51 left in the game.
After Creighton rallied to cut the lead to 53-50, Redbird reserve Brooke Singleton sparked a Redbird scoring spree with her aggressive play. Singleton nailed a driving jumper and, seconds later, stole a pass and drove for the lay up. Singleton's four consecutive started a 16-2 Redbird burst from the 10:00 minute mark to 4;09 left as Hallstrom's lay up gave the `Birds a 68-52 lead.
Hallstrom, ISU's only senior player, had mixed emotions after leading the `Birds to victory in her final home game.
"It was a both a good day and a sad day for me," said Halllstrom. "I'm happy that we got the win. We have been working really hard at practice and I went into it like any other game by playing tough and leaving it all on the floor."
Head coach Robin Pingeton also saw the emotions before the game from Hallstrom and stressed the importance to her of having a good game.
"I think today was a tough game for Holly," said Pingeton. "She is such an emotional person and has such a huge heart. She had some emotions before the game, and I told her that our young team needed to see her ready and to get things done for us to win."
The `Birds had never swept Creighton in a season series because, before this season, they had never won in Omaha. A 71-68 decision in January got the Redbirds out of the rut on the road against Creighton.
The Redbirds go on the road for the last two games of the Valley schedule, Wednesday at Evansville and Saturday at Southern Illinois.
