Illinois State-Evansville Game Notes in PDF Format
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Jan. 5, 2007
NORMAL, Ill. - The Illinois State women's basketball team will look to claim sole possession of first-place in the Missouri Valley Conference when they visit undefeated Evansville in a Saturday afternoon league contest. Tip-off from Roberts Stadium is set for 2:00 p.m.
The Redbirds (10-4, 3-0 MVC) are coming off Thursday's 84-72 win at Southern Illinois. After a 70 percent shooting second-half, ISU clinched its most efficient shooting performance (63 percent) in the three-plus years under current head coach Robin Pingeton. Sophomore point guard Kristi Cirone recorded her best road performance of the season, pouring in a game-high 27 points on 8-of-11 shooting. She led a group of four Redbirds that scored in double figures.
The 3-0 start is just the second for Illinois State since the inception of MVC women's basketball in the 1992-93 season. The last time the Redbirds started out the Valley season with a 3-0 slate was in the 1995-96 campaign, when they defeated Bradley, Northern Iowa and Indiana State, respectively.
Evansville (10-4, 3-0 MVC ) scored a near-NCAA record 20 points in overtime Thursday to outlast visiting Indiana State, 98-91. UE's 20-point overtime outing fell just two points short of an NCAA record, as senior guard Ashli Senff and junior guards Rebekah Parker and Courtney Felke combined for 19 of UE's 20 points in the overtime period. The Purple Aces are riding a current five-game winning streak.
In the last meeting between Illinois State and Evansville at Roberts Stadium (March 1), Cirone scored 17 of her career-high tying 27 points in the first half, and Megan McCracken chipped in 10 points, to lead Illinois State to a 79-66 win. It was the Redbirds' third straight victory.
Illinois State leads the all-time series against Southern Illinois, 14-10, but Evansville has captured three of the last four meetings.
