Redbirds Open Valley Play Against Drake and Creighton

Dec. 30, 2009

PLAYERS TO WATCH
Ashleen Bracey - F
Bracey has chosen the right time to get hot this season. She is averaging 15.8 points and 6.0 rebounds per game over the last six games, after being held scoreless against Illinois. Over the past two years, Bracey has saved her best performances for when she plays Drake, averaging 16.0 points and 9.4 rebounds in five games. She has two double-doubles against the Bulldogs, with a 14-point, 16-rebound performance in the 2008 MVC Tournament championship game and a 19-point, 11-rebound game at home last season. She is averaging 21.5 points per game against Drake in Redbird Arena.

JORDAN PLUMMER - G
Plummer leads the Bulldogs once again in scoring (14.9 ppg), assists (44) and steals (36). The doi-it-all guard has scored in double-digits and had at least four steals in six games. She had a career-best game against Air Force with 27 points and six steals, which earned her the MVC Player of the Week award.

FASTBREAK POINTS
Illinois State has already lost more home games this season (2) than all of last season (1) ... ISU has opened Valley play with two wins in each of the last three seasons, twice with wins over Creighton and Drake ... the Redbirds missed 20 three-pointers against DePaul, a season-high ... ISU has won at least six games in its first 10 in each of the last four seasons.

REDBIRDS-BULLDOGS SERIES
Drake leads the all-time series with Illinois State, 31-27. The series began in 1981 with ISU winning 13 of the first 20 games. After that, the Bulldogs posted a 21-5 record against the Redbirds, including a streak of 14-consecutive wins from 1997-2004. ISU has won nine of the last 12 games, including a sweep of the season series last year. The Redbirds are 16-2 against Drake all-time at home and have won six-straight at Redbird Arena.

REDBIRDS-BLUEJAYS SERIES
Creighton leads the all-time series with Illinois State, 25-14. The first meeting came in 1982, but didn't resume until Creighton joined the valley in 1993 and the two teams have met annually since. After ISU won the first two matchups, Creighton posted a 21-6 record against the Redbirds, including eight-straight wins. ISU has won six of the last 10 meetings. ISU and Creighton split the series last year with each team winning on its home court. The Redbirds hold a 10-6 edge in games at Redbird Arena.

REDBIRDS OPEN VALLEY PLAY
Illinois State is 16-10 in conference-openers, including 9-8 since the conference changed its name to the Missouri Valley. The Redbirds are 10-8 when playing their first Valley game of the season at home and 16-10 in Valley home openers. Last year, ISU opened Valley play at home against Creighton and Drake, beating the Bluejays by 20 and the Bulldogs by 10.

BIG D
Since giving up 86 points to Ball State on 59 percent shooting, Illinois State has stepped up its defense. In the last four games, ISU is holding its opponents to 56.5 points per game and 33.8 percent shooting from the field. The Redbirds have also dominated the glass, outrebounding the last four opponents by 11.3 rebounds per game. ISU held Milwaukee to just 38 points, the lowest point total by a Redbird opponent since Iowa State scored 37 on Dec. 18, 1993. The Panthers did not make a field goal in the first 11 minutes of the second half and scored just 11 points in the period. ISU held Illinois-Chicago to just 23 first-half points to build a 22-point halftime lead.

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 (17.6 ppg) and has scored in double-figures in nine of the 10 games this year. 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. A proficient three-point shooter, Krick has been taking the ball to the basket more this season, with 77.8 percent of her points coming from inside the three-point arc or the free throw line. She has also increased her rebounding to 6.0 per game, two more than her career average.

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 15.2 turnovers per game and have had at least 13 turnovers in every game. The Redbirds' -0.5 turnover margin ranks 182nd in the NCAA.

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; combining for 60.7 percent of the ISU scoring production and 45.6 percent of its rebounding. All three players rank in the top-25 in the Valley in scoring.

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 14 blocks, ranking fourth in the Valley, and has had multiple blocks in six 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 (8.9 ppg) and has scored in double-figures six 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 (5.2 rpg), fifth in scoring (6.1 ppg) and grabbed a career-high 10 rebounds against UIC.

FREEBIES, BUT GOODIES
ISU is cashing in its free throws early on in the season. The Redbirds lead the Valley and rank sixth in the nation in free throw percentage (.786) and have four players ranked in the top-10 in the conference. The Redbirds haven't shot lower than 70 percent from the foul line yet in a game this season and are averaging 17.2 makes per contest. ISU shot 28-for-36 from the charity stripe against South Dakota State, 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
Senior Maggie Krick (1,229) and redshirt senior Nicolle Lewis (1,136) 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.

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).

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