Dec. 18, 2008
NORMAL, Ill. -
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Kristi Cirone – G – Illinois State
During the current four-game winning streak, Cirone is averaging 15.3 points and 5.4 assists per game. She is shooting 56 percent from the field and has a 3.10 assist-to-turnover ratio.
Tierra DeLaHoussaye – G – Western Michigan
DeLaHoussaye might remind Redbird fans of Kristi Cirone with her ability to score, distribute the ball and play defense. DeLaHoussaye is averaging 12.3 ppg and leads the Broncos with 30 assists. She is the reigning MAC Defensive Player of the Year and was a first-team all-conference pick last season.
REDBIRDS-BRONCOS SERIES
Illinois State leads the all-time series with Western Michigan, 8-4. The series began in 1974 and the two teams played 10 times between then an 1982, with the Redbirds posting an 8-2 record, including six-straight wins. The series took a hiatus until a home-and-home series from 2002-03, when the Broncos posted a pair of 20-point wins.
FEELS LIKE THE FIRST TIME
No matter what round ISU advances to and who it faces on the second day of the Orange County Clash, the Redbirds will be facing a team for the first time. Illinois State has never played UC-Irvine or UNC-Greensboro in women’s basketball. ISU is 5-7 all-time against teams from California (California, Cal Poly Pomona, UC-Santa Barbara, Long Beach State, San Diego State, San Francisco, USC) and 3-1 against teams from North Carolina (East Carolina, North Carolina, North Carolina State).
RIGHTING THE SHIP
Illinois State had a dismal start to the season, losing its first to games by double-digits and averaging just 56 points per game. Since then, the Redbirds have looked more like the team that was the unanimous pick to win the MVC. The ‘Birds are 6-1, averaging 80.7 points per game and outscoring their opponents by an average of 17.6 points per game. The ’Redbirds are shooting 47.8 percent from the field and averaging 43.3 rebounds per game, an average of 8.1 more than their opponents. Senior Kristi Cirone is leading the way for ISU, averaging 19.3 ppg, with a 57.6 field goal percentage, and 6.2 assists per game.
LEWIS BACK IN THE LINEUP
Junior Nicolle Lewis rejoined the starting lineup in the fourth game of the season and the move seems to have elevated her game. Lewis is averaging 9.8 points and 7.3 rebounds per game as a starter, while helping the Redbirds to a 5-1 record. She recorded her fourth-career double-double against Green Bay and has 12 of her 29 blocks during that stretch.
STIFLING DEFENSE
In wins over Western Illinois (80-49), Eastern Michigan (83-47) and Green Bay (60-49), Illinois State tied the fifth-longest streak of holding opponents under 50 points in school history. All of the other streaks in the top-five occurred before 1975, the last coming in 1974. Since 1978, there had never been two-consecutive games that opponents failed to score at least 50 points. The Redbirds achieved the historic streak with some dominant runs. Against Western Illinois, ISU closed the first half with a 16-8 run and held the Westerwinds without a field goal for the first eight minutes of the second half, held Eastern Michigan to just 14 points in the first half and limited Green Bay to just three field goals and 16 points in the second half.
