Dec. 17, 2009
| ILLINOIS STATE (4-3) vs. ILLINOIS-CHICAGO (2-6) |
| Date |
December 18 // 7 p.m. |
| Location |
UIC Pavillion // Chicago |
| Radio |
WJBC |
| Video |
Horizon League Network |
| Live Stats |
GameTracker |
| Game Notes |
Illinois State // Illinois-Chicago |
Players to Watch
Ashleen Bracey - F
In the Redbirds’ loss to Illinois, Ashleen Bracey was held scoreless, shooting 0-for-12 from the field. Bracey has turned her offensive fortune around since then, scoring 18 points in each of the last three games. She is also averaging 7.0 rebounds during that span.
Jessie Miller - G
Miller leads UIC in scoring (13.0 ppg), assists (23) and steals (19). She had a double-double with 25 points and 10 rebounds in UIC’s first win over Niagara. The two-time All-Horizon League Second Team pick became the third junior in UIC history to score 1,000 points.
FastBreak points
Illinois State hasn’t won back-to-back games yet this season ... Illinois and Illinois-Chicago haven’t played since 2003 ... Illinois State is 201-106 against teams from Illinois and 20-16 against teams from Chicago ... Illinois State held UW-Milwaukee to 38 points, the lowest point total by an opponent since 1993 ... Ashleen Bracey has scored 18 points in three-straight games after being held scoreless against Illinois.
Redbirds-Flames Series
Illinois State leads the all-time series with Illinois-Chicago, 10-2. The Redbirds won the first nine games in the series, which began in 1977, by an average of 27.3 points per game. Seven of the nine wins were by at least 20 points, including a 56-point win, 103-47, in 1982. UIC beat the Redbirds for the first time in 1997 and again in 2002. The two teams met annually from 1977-83, then again in 1986. Since then, there have been home-and-home series in 1996-97 and 2002-03. ISU is 22-11 all-time against Horizon League teams.
Threes are the keys
Illinois State is continuing its trend of solid three-point shooting, averaging just under five three-pointers per game and shooting 33.3 percent from beyond the arc. However, the Redbirds aren’t defending the perimeter well. ISU opponents are averaging 6.3 triples per game and are shooting .358 from long range.
Taking care of the rock
Illinois State’s inability to take care of the ball has been evident throughout the early part of the season. The Redbirds are averaging 15.7 turnovers per game and have had at least 13 turnovers in each game. ISU’s opponents are averaging 16.0 turnovers per game, but there is a disparity on how each converts those turnovers. ISU opponents are averaging three more points off of turnovers per game than the Redbirds, including a 21-7 advantage for Ball State.
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 and combining for 64.1 percent of the ISU scoring production.
Krick Gets Kracking
Every season throughout her career, Illinois State senior Maggie Krick has increased her production on the court. As a captain and Preseason All-Valley selection for the second-straight year, big things were expected of Krick in her final season and she has come through to exceed expectations. Krick is second in the Valley in scoring (18.7 ppg) and is off to the best start to a season in her career. She started the year with six-consecutive double-digit scoring games, the longest streak since Kristi Cirone began the 2005-06 season with eight-straight. Krick has been to the free throw line nearly triple the amount in any previous season, shooting at an 88.6 percent clip from the charity stripe.
Nicolle Lewis: Queen of the Block
Redshirt senior Nicolle Lewis has six blocks over the past two games, moving her into fourth place on the Valley all-time blocks lists and making her the fourth player in conference history to amass 200 blocks. Lewis leads the Redbirds with 13 blocks, ranking third in the Valley, and has had multiple blocks in five games.
Transfer funds
Juniors Emily Hanley and Hannah Spanich have each spent a season on the sideline, watching the Redbirds’ success after transferring from other schools. Both are on the court this year, and having a solid impact. Spanich is fourth on the team in scoring (7.9 ppg) and has scored in double-figures four times. She broke into the starting lineup against UW-Milwaukee, recording career-highs of four blocks and four steals. Hanley is fourth on the team in rebounding (4.3 rpg), fifth in scoring (6.8 ppg) and has grabbed at least six rebounds three times.
Freebies, but goodies
ISU is cashing in its free throws early on in the season. The Redbirds lead the Valley in free throw percentage (.800) and have four players ranked in the top-10 in the conference. 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. 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.
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). Before falling to the Redbirds, the Jackrabbits had only lost four 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.
Two times 1,000
Junior Maggie Krick (1,184) and redshirt junior Nicolle Lewis (1,109) 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.
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).
GoRedbirds.com: Your online source for Illinois State Athletics, tickets, TRC gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.
