Aug. 25, 2006
NORMAL, Ill. -
With an 11-game non-conference slate set that includes five contests against intrastate opponents and a road trip to Ames, Iowa, to face Big 12 foe Iowa State, Illinois State women's basketball head coach Robin Pingeton announced Friday the Missouri Valley Conference portion of the team's formidable 2006-07 schedule.
The 18-game conference schedule features nine home tip-offs, including a tilt with the 2006 State Farm MVC tournament champion Missouri State on Jan. 13 and regular-season champion Indiana State on Feb. 18.
"The Missouri Valley Conference has gotten stronger with more parity with each passing season," Pingeton said. "There are so many great coaches and blue-collar players in our league that make every game, especially road swings, very tough. That is why it will be so important this season to take it one game at a time."
For the fifth-consecutive season, the `Birds will open conference play at home when they welcome Creighton after the Christmas break to Redbird Arena on Dec. 29. ISU will continue its homestand during the holiday season as 2006 WNIT participant Drake travels to Normal for a New Year's Eve match up.
"It is always great to be at home around the holidays," said Pingeton. "We have great fan support here at Redbird Arena and it is so important to have a home-court advantage. Every season, our fans have done a great job of coming out over the holiday break."
The Redbirds will then begin the New Year on a two-game road trip as they travel to face Southern Illinois and Evansville on Jan. 4 and Jan. 6.
The month of January will feature three games at Redbird Arena against Wichita State (Jan. 11), Missouri State (Jan. 13) and Bradley (Jan. 28). Last season, the Redbirds swept the Shockers and Bears back-to-back at home. Bradley marks the beginning of ISU's only three-game home stand of the conference schedule. Under Pingeton, the Redbirds have captured all three meetings in Normal against their intrastate rival from Peoria. The `Birds will wrap up the action at home with games versus Evansville (Feb. 2) and Southern Illinois (Feb. 4).
Following the contest with the Salukis, the `Birds pack their bags as they hit the road for five of seven games to close out the regular season with stops at Missouri State (Feb. 10), Wichita State (Feb. 12), Bradley (Feb. 23), Drake (Mar. 1) and Creighton (Mar. 3). The Redbirds will host Indiana State, who went 27-6 last season and reached the second round of the 2006 WNIT (Feb. 18), before wrapping up the home schedule with senior day on Feb. 25 against Northern Iowa.
At the conclusion of the regular season, Illinois State will travel to Drake's Knapp Center in Des Moines, Iowa to compete in the 2007 State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament.
Season tickets for the 2006-07 women's basketball season are available at the Redbird Arena Ticket Office. For more information, contact the ticket office at (309) 438-8000.
