Redbirds Host Fighting Illini Tuesday Night

Nov. 23, 2009

 

PLAYERS TO WATCH
Ashleen Bracey - F
Bracey is coming off of a career-high-tying 24 points against nationally-ranked South Dakota State. Bracey shot 9-for-15 and had seven rebounds, two steals and a block against the Jackrabbits. She also made both of her three-point field goal attempts, continuing to utilize the long-range aspect of her game. She is 6-for-12 from three-point range this season, leading the Redbirds in three-pointers and three-point field goal percentage.

JENNA SMITH - C
For the second-straight game, Illinois State will face a player averaging a double-double on the season. Smith is averaging 20.0 points and 11.0 rebounds so far this season. She has recorded a double-double in all four games, including 15 points and 12 rebounds against Bradley Sunday.

REDBIRDS-FIGHTING ILLINI SERIES
Illinois leads the all-time series with Illinois State, 19-17. ISU posted a 14-2 record to start the series that began in 1972, including wins in the first eight meetings. Since 1985, Illinois is 17-5 against the Redbirds. Illinois has won the last seven meetings (1999-2005). Illinois State is 7-9 at home against Illinois, including a 2-6 record at Redbird Arena. The Fighting Illini haven’t been to Redbird Arena since Dec. 21, 2004. ISU is 67-74 all-time against Big Ten teams.

SENIOR LEADERSHIP
Coming into the season, Illinois State knew it would need to rely on the senior trio of Ashleen Bracey, Maggie Krick and Nicolle Lewis for success. The trio has stepped up big so far, making up the top-three Redbird scorers and rebounders. Through the first three games, the seniors have combined for 65.7 percent of ISU’s scoring and are shooting 46.4 percent from the field.

REDBIRDS CRACK MID-MAJOR TOP-TEN
Illinois State is ranked ninth in the latest ESPN Mid-Major Top-10 rankings, compiled by ESPN.com writer Graham Hayes. ISU’s 2-1 record against major opponents early this season has impressed the national media.

TAKING ON THE BIG GIRLS
The term mid-major has been used so frequently to describe teams outside of the six major conferences in recent years. The Valley has been placed in the category of mid-major, but the stretch of teams that Illinois State has played recently has shown that the Redbirds can take on anyone in the county. Over the last seven games, dating back to last season, ISU has faced teams from the Big East, Big Ten, Big 11, Pac-10 and WAC, posting a 4-2 record. Illinois State hasn’t played a such a daunting stretch of non-conference opponents since the 1998 season. The Redbirds also threw South Dakota State in the mix, a team that won 32 games last season. The Jackrabbits have only lost five games in the past two seasons, three of which were to top-10 teams Arizona State, Baylor and Maryland, and were receiving votes in both national polls.

REDBIRDS WIN THE BATTLE OF THE MID-MAJORS
Illinois State and South Dakota State are two of the best programs in women’s college basketball that many people don’t know much about. Both teams have won 20 games in each of the last three seasons, posting a combined record of 155-42. In the second all-time meeting between the two schools Nov. 19, Illinois State came out on top, 79-67. ISU made 28 free throws and forced 25 turnovers to overcome a stellar shooting performance by the Jackrabbits (51.2% from the field, 47.8 % from three-point range).

FREEBIES, BUT GOODIES
Illinois State’s win over South Dakota State can largely be attributed to the Redbirds’ performance from the free throw line. ISU shot 28-for-36 from the charity stripe during the game, the sixth-most free throws in school history and three shy of the Redbird Arena record, set in 2004 against Northern Iowa. ISU led by just one point with 10:58 remaining in the game, but shot 17-for-21 from the free throw line the rest of the way, leading to a 12-point victory. Six of the eight Redbirds shot at least four free throws in the game.

REDBIRDS TAKE SECOND IN HAWKEYE CHALLENGE
In its first appearance in the longest running active women’s basketball tournament in the country, Illinois State came in second place in the KCRG-TV9 Hawkeye Challenge. Illinois State became the first Valley team to reach the championship in the conference’s sixth appearance. Seniors Maggie Krick and Nicolle Lewis were both named to the all-tournament team.

Nicolle Lewis: QUEEN OF THE BLOCK
Redshirt junior Nicolle Lewis blocked four shots against Northern Iowa March 1 to move past Leslie Ferrell (177) for ISU all-time lead. She is currently fifth on the Valley’s career blocks list with 194 and could become only the fourth player in conference history to surpass 200 career blocks. After blocking 11 shots in eight games before a knee injury cut short her freshman season, Lewis has recorded at least 40 blocks the last three seasons, including a school-record 78 in 2008-09.

REDBIRD OFFENSE TAKES FLIGHT IN EXHIBITIONS
Illinois State had an offensive explosion in its two exhibition games, averaging 87 points and scoring 100 against Kentucky Wesleyan. The Redbirds shot 51 percent (69-135) from the field and 41 percent (12-29) from three-point range. Of the 174 points the Redbirds scored, 86 were in the paint and they scored 51 points off of 41 turnovers forced. ISU was led by its trio of seniors, who all averaged double-figures in scoring - Maggie Krick (17.5), Ashleen Bracey (16.0), Nicolle Lewis (13.0). Bracey and Lewis dominated on the glass, averaging 8.5 and 8.0 rebounds per game, respectively. Junior Emily Hanley averaged 9.5 points and 8.0 rebounds per game off the bench.

REDBIRDS PICKED SECOND IN MVC PRESEASON POLL
Illinois State was projected to finish in second place in the annual Missouri Valley Conference Preseason Poll, conducted by the leagues coaches, sports information directors and media. Illinois State received 340 votes, falling just behind Creighton (393). The Bluejays (34) and Redbirds (6) were the only teams to receive first-place votes. ISU has been picked in the top-three in the preseason poll in each of the last three seasons. In three of the four previous years the Redbirds were picked second in the preseason poll, they wound up winning the MVC regular-season title.

KRICK NAMED PRESEASON ALL-VALLEY
Senior guard Maggie Krick was named to the Preseason All-Valley team for the second-consecutive year. Krick is ISU’s leading returner in scoring, three-point field goals, assists, steals and minutes. She was a Preseason All-Valley pick before last season and was named to the All-Valley Second Team after averaging 12.6 points per game. She was joined on the preseason all-conference team by Megan Neuvirth (Creighton), Jordann Plummer (Drake), Kelsey Luna (Indiana State) and Casey Garrison (Missouri State). Neuvirth was named the Valley Preseason Player of the Year; the first year the award has been given on the women’s side. All five players on the preseason team were All-Valley selections last year.

ISU SIGNS THREE FRESHMEN TO NLI
National Signing Day came Wednesday, Nov. 11, and Illinois State had three high school seniors sign National Letters of Intent to play for the Redbirds beginning in 2010-11. Marley Hall (West Hancock/Warsaw, Ill.), a 6-foot-2 forward, Chloe Nelson (Incarnate Word/St. Louis, Mo.), a 5-foot-7 guard, and Alison Seberger (Montini Catholic/Lombard, Ill.), a 6-foot-2 guard, will be freshmen for the Redbirds next season.

THREE-PEAT
Illinois State’s WNIT berth last season marked the third-consecutive year the Redbirds have advanced to postseason play. It was the third time ISU was in the postseason at least three-straight seasons. ISU made three postseason trips from 1988-90 and six-consecutive from 1980-85.

ANOTHER THREE-PEAT
Illinois State completed another rare three-peat last season. The Redbirds won 20 games for the third-straight season for the third time in program history. The Redbirds won 20 games from 1982-85 and 1987-90. ISU has also completed back-to-back 25-win seasons for the first time in program history.

TONIGHT ON 20/20
Illinois State’s 27 wins were the second-most in program history, one win shy of the school record 28 set in 1980-81. The Redbirds’ win over Wichita State Feb. 14 secured the 12th 20-win season in program history and marked the third-straight 20-win season, a feat achieved just one other time (1982-85). The Redbirds reached the 20-win plateau in the second-fewest games ever (24), falling just short of the 23 games it took the team last season, and set a school record for regular-season wins (24).

TWO TIMES 1,000
Junior Maggie Krick (1,111) and redshirt junior Nicolle Lewis (1,070) both joined the ISU 1,000-Point Club at the end of the 2008-09 season, bringing the membership up to 24. There have been five years in Illinois State history when two players have scored their 1,000th point in the same season. Krick and Lewis are the first duo to start a season with 1,000 points since 1990-91, when Cindy Kaufmann and LuAnn Robinson were both seniors.

THREE-COLA!!
Since Robin Pingeton became head coach in 2003-04, the Redbirds have been letting fly from three-point range at a record rate. Pingeton’s six seasons make up the top-six records in three-point field goals in school history. ISU’s 184 three-pointers last season were the fifth-most in school history and the Redbirds have eclipsed 200 triples in the years during the Pingeton era. The Redbirds are averaging 5.0 three-pointers per game this season and are shooting 36.6 percent from long range, good for third-best in the Valley.

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