March 17, 2007
Illinois State-South Dakota State Game Notes in PDF Format
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NORMAL, Ill. - The Illinois State women's basketball team will look to record back-to-back postseason wins for the first time in program history when the Redbirds visit South Dakota State Saturday in the second round of the Women's Invitation Tournament (WNIT). Tip-off from the Scott Frost Center is set for 7 p.m.
The Redbirds are coming off Thursday's triple overtime triumph over visiting Rice. ISU led by 13 points (26-13) at halftime before seeing the Owls stage a comeback and tie the game at 63-63 with less than two seconds remaining in regulation. Neither team led by more than two points in the first or second extra period, before the `Birds pulled away in the third overtime, outscoring Rice, 10-0. It was ISU's first-ever triple-overtime contest.
Kristi Cirone led the Redbird offensive attack with 22 points in a career-high 51 minutes. Kenyatta Shelton chipped in 10 points and 10 rebounds off the bench, recording her sixth double-double of the season. Lashawn Johnson, ISU's leading rebounder, had a career-high tying 14 caroms.
SDSU, who joined the Division I collegiate ranks just three years ago, received an at-large bid to its first-ever WNIT. The Jackrabbits haven't played since March 3, but ended the regular season on a 12-game winning streak. Only general admission tickets remain available in the 7,000 seat arena.
SDSU, who will become an official member of the Mid-Continent Conference in 2007-08, has posted impressive wins over Middle Tennessee, USC, Virginia, Kansas, Colorado, Alabama, Minnesota and Missouri Valley Conference member Southern Illinois. The Redbirds and Jackrabbits have never met in women's basketball.
Megan Vogel has been the Jackrabbits' offensive catalyst, averaging 17.4 points per game to go along with 5.6 rebounds per contest. SDSU's top three scorers all average better than an 80 percent mark from the free throw line.
If the Redbirds advance to the WNIT third round, they would face the winner of Monday's Indiana-Iona game. The date and location of the game is yet to be determined.
Illinois State, who is making its second postseason appearance under fourth-year head coach Robin Pingeton, has appeared in four recognized WNIT Postseason Tournaments; the Redbirds have a 4-9 all-time record in the event. ISU's most successful finish was in the 1987-88 season, when the `Birds finished fourth overall in the field.
For the first time, each of the nation's 31 conferences will be represented in the WNIT. The tournament expanded to 48 teams this year to accommodate an automatic berth for each of the conferences.
