Feb. 4, 2006
Box Score
Freshman guard Kristi Cirone scored 16 points, and Holly Hallstrom recorded her sixth double-double of the season, but it wasn't enough as Illinois State dropped a heart-breaker to Indiana State 75-71 in a Missouri Valley Conference match-up Saturday afternoon at Redbird Arena. The 3,581 fans in attendance made it the second largest women's basketball crowd in Redbird basketball history.
Melanie Boeglin led the Sycamores to their 16th straight win with 29 points--28 in the second.
Illinois State 8-11 (3-7) had strong efforts from forwards Hallstrom and Amber Shelton. Hallstrom scored 14 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, while Shelton also chipped in 14 points and four assists. Indiana State 18-2 (10-0) was led by guard Boeglin's 29-point, seven rebound performance. Forward Stephanie Lisch chipped in with 13 points for the Sycamores.
The first half began with both teams trading baskets until the 14:58 mark when a put back from Lashawn Johnson ignited a 10-0 Redbird scoring run, paced by four points from center Lori Trumblee. The Redbirds were able to break down the full court pressure from the Sycamores, creating easy baskets. The `Birds led by as many as 12 points but a late run by the Sycamores cut the lead to 33-28 at the break. Shelton lead the `Birds with nine points in the first half.
The second half began much like the first, with both teams trading baskets until the Redbirds went on a 6-0 scoring run. The `Birds increased their lead to 44-35 on a pair of free throws from Cirone after a technical foul was assessed to the Indiana State bench at 14:30. The Sycamores used the intensity from their bench to their advantage, going on a 16-0 scoring run backed by five points from Boeglin. The Sycamores led by as many as eight points until the `Birds rallied to cut the lead to one when Shelton hit a jumper to make the score 68-67 with 2:10 remaining. After trading baskets, the Sycamores were able to hold on after a missed lay up from Redbird guard Megan McCracken and widened the margin to 75-71 on a pair of free throws from Lisa Verhoff.
Illinois State head coach Robin Pingeton was impressed with Boeglin's mentality, citing her second half performance.
"Melanie's a great player with a bull dog mentality," said Pingeton. "I won't be surprised to see her get player-of-the-year. She finds a way to get things done. She's a fighter and a tremendous player."
While the Sycamores struggled in the first half, head coach Jim Wiedie was glad the team was able to put it together in the second half and get a win at Redbird Arena after falling to the Redbirds 72-70 in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament Championship game last season.
"It wasn't looking good for a while, we needed a confience builder here at Redbird Arena," said Wiedie. "We haven't won here in a long time. All I can remember is last year with the confetti and the celebration song. Hopefully we can carry this win into the Valley tournament because there is a strong possibility that we could be playing each other if things pan out."
The Redbirds will play Northern Iowa in a Missouri Valley Conference game on Friday, February 10 starting at 7:05 pm at Redbird Arena. For more information on Redbird Athletics, visit www.GoRedbirds.com.
