Jan. 24, 2007
Illinois State-Northern Iowa Game Notes in PDF Format
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NORMAL, Ill. - Illinois State head coach Robin Pingeton will look to clinch her 250th career coaching victory and lead the Redbirds to their fourth consecutive Missouri Valley Conference road win when ISU visits Cedar Falls, Iowa, for a date with host Northern Iowa Thursday. Tip-off from the brand new McCleod Center is set for 7:05 p.m.
The Redbirds (14-4, 7-0 MVC) are coming off Friday's dramatic 89-81 win at rival Indiana State. The Redbirds built a 20-point advantage in the first half, and took a 50-31 lead at halftime after ending the frame on a 6-0 run. They went up by 23 points just one minute into the second stanza before seeing the Sycamores stage a comeback and cut the lead to just two points (68-66) with just over five minutes remaining. The `Birds hit eight free throws in the final minute to clinch the victory. Junior center Lashawn Johnson led a group of five Redbirds in double figures, recording her first career double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds.
Pingeton was proud to see her team endure Indiana State's comeback, and have the poise to win on the road in front of a crowd of more than 5,500 people.
"For us to go on the road and get a win against a team of Indiana State's caliber (Friday) was huge for our team and our program, considering some of the battles we have had with them over the years," said Pingeton. "I was a little disappointed with some of our defensive breakdowns in the second half, but I think Indiana State's comeback may have been a blessing in disguise for our kids to be forced to show some poise and toughness down the stretch in a hostile environment."
Illinois State's current seven-game conference winning streak ties the longest winning streak under Pingeton in her three-plus years at the helm. A win over Northern Iowa on Thursday would equal ISU's longest MVC winning streak since the Gateway Conference became the Valley in the 1992-93 campaign.
Northern Iowa (10-8, 4-3 MVC) started out the MVC slate 3-0 after posting wins over Bradley, Creighton and Drake, before dropping its next three league contests versus Evansville, Southern Illinois and Missouri State. The Panthers snapped their three-game skid with a 66-56 win at Wichita State on Sunday.
UNI is one of the strongest defensive teams in the Valley. The Panthers rank first in three-point field goal percentage defense (.272). In MVC games only, UNI tops the league in field goal percentage defense (.398). Senior forward Tara King is averaging a league-best 17.8 points per game.
Pingeton anticipates Thursday's game being another tough road challenge.
"It's going to be nice to play in that new McCleod Center, because West Gym hasn't been friendly to us in the past few years," Pingeton said. "But we're excited about another opportunity to go on the road and improve. UNI is just a very solid team, and they are not going to beat themselves. They are solid on the perimeter, have some very talented post players, and they are an extremely solid defensive team. They have a great senior leader in Tara King, who understands the intensity and energy level that it takes to succeed in this league. We are going to have to be locked in defensively, and prevent their shooters from having a big night. They have plenty of kids who have the ability to score the ball."
Dating back to the 1976-77 season, Illinois State holds a decisive 31-19 all-time series lead over Northern Iowa. However, the Panthers have claimed eight of the last 10 meetings, and ISU has not tallied a victory in Cedar Falls since Feb. 22, 1997.
