#2 Illinois State vs. #7 Bradley Game Notes in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
March 9, 2007
NORMAL, Ill. - The Illinois State women's basketball team will begin its postseason run with a match-up against seventh-seeded, rival Bradley in the 2007 State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament quarterfinals Friday night. Tip-off from the Knapp Center is set for 6:05 p.m.
The Redbirds (20-9, 13-5 MVC) are coming off Saturday's regular-season ending 72-54 win at Creighton. The victory gave Illinois State its first 20-win season since the 1989-90 campaign, and clinched a bye in the first-round of the Valley Tournament.
Bradley (12-18, 7-11 MVC) advanced to the quarterfinals after posting a 65-56 win over No. 10 Missouri State Thursday night at the Knapp Center, its first MVC Tournament win since the 1997 season. Senior center Ashley Chelleen turned in one of the best performances of her career, scoring a game-high 18 points on 7-of-11 shooting, while Erika Nelson added 15 points and junior Devyn Flanagan was also in double figures with 10 points. The victory ended a three-game losing streak for the Braves and a seven-game MVC Tournament skid.
Illinois State swept the annual series with the Braves for the first time since the 1999-2000 campaign this season. The Redbirds recorded two solid defensive efforts in both games, holding Bradley to an average of just 56.5 points and 17.5 turnovers in the two contests. MVC Player of the year Kristi Cirone had 24 points to lead the `Birds at Redbird Arena (Jan. 28), while Nicolle Lewis led a group of five Redbirds in double figures with 18 points in a 75-66 victory at Robertson Memorial Field House (Feb. 23).
Illinois State has met its in-state rival three times in the same season just once, when the Redbirds swept the 1995-96 regular season series with Bradley, and captured an 80-75, overtime decision in the 1996 State Farm MVC Tournament at Springfield, Mo.
Dating back to the 1983-84 season, Illinois State holds a decisive 32-17 all-time series lead over rival Bradley. Illinois State has won four out of the last five meetings, and is 6-5 versus the Braves under head coach Robin Pingeton.
