Redbirds Have Valentine's Day Date With Shockers

Feb. 13, 2009

 

PLAYERS TO WATCH
Nicolle Lewis – C – ILLINOIS STATE
Over the last nine games, Lewis is averaging 10.6 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. Lewis had a double-double of 14 points, on a perfect 7-for-7 shooting performance from the field, and 10 rebounds to go along with a season-high six blocks against Indiana State Feb. 7 and had a career-high 15 rebounds against Missouri State Thursday. She had a season-high 16 points, nine rebounds and five blocks in the first meeting with the Shockers this year.

MARCY SUDBECK – C – WICHITA STATE
Sudbeck is the Shockers’ leading scorer (13.2 ppg) and rebounder (8.8 rpg) and has a team-best 44 blocks on the year. She had 21 points, on 10-of-21 shooting, and seven rebounds in the first meeting with the Redbirds.

FASTBREAK POINTS
Illinois State has the 20th-longest current winning streak in the nation … Illinois State has lost at least four games in the second half of the Valley season in each of the last five years … Wichita State has just one win since losing in overtime to ISU Jan. 17.

REDBIRDS-SHOCKERS SERIES
Illinois State leads the all-time series with Wichita State, 35-18. The Redbirds hold a 19-6 edge in games played in Normal, including four-straight wins. The series began in 1980 and the two teams have played at least twice since 1984, when they both joined the Gateway Conference. ISU won 16 of the first 18 meetings before Wichita State won consecutive games over the Redbirds. Robin Pingeton is 8-3 all-time against Wichita State.

LAST TIME OUT VS. WICHITA STATE
Illinois State outlasted Wichita State in its only overtime game of the season, 73-70, Jan. 17. Shala Jackson tied the game with a layup in the final minute of regulation and a big three-pointer by Maggie Krick and free throws by Kristi Cirone sealed the win. The game had 10 ties and 13 lead changes. Cirone led all scorers with 21 points, Nicolle Lewis had 16 points and nine rebounds and Krick added 12 points.

LAST YEAR VS. WICHITA STATE
Illinois State swept the season series with Wichita State last season, winning both games by an average of 19 points. Kristi Cirone averaged 15 points, seven steals and 5.5 assists against the Shockers last season. She tied her career-high with eight steals in the home win over Wichita State Feb. 21. Nicolle Lewis averaged 13.5 points and 8.5 rebounds in the two wins over the Shockers.

PINK ZONE
Saturday's game is a part of the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Pink Zone, an initiative to help promote breast cancer awareness. February is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and over 1,500 schools across the nation are participating in the third year of the Pink Zone. During halftime, local cancer survivors will be honored on the court. The Community Cancer Center, Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation, College Against Cancer and the Zeta Tau Alpha sorority will have informational displays around the concourse and all fans will be provided free pink ribbons. The Redbird players will wear pink laces, pink socks and pink shooting shirts.

TONIGHT ON 20/20
Illinois State enters today’s game with Wichita State in search of the program’s 12th 20-win season. A win over the Shockers would make the 08-09 Redbirds the second-fastest team to 20 wins ever, after the 07-08 squad achieved the feat in 23 games. ISU could also record three-straight 20-win seasons for just the second time ever, matching the streak from 1982-85.

WE’RE GOING STREAKING!!
To have a winning percentage that ranks in the top-25 in the nation, a team needs to have at least one considerable winning streak. Illinois State has had two this season, winning nine-straight earlier in the year and currently riding an eight-game winning streak. It is the second time in program history the Redbirds have had two winning streaks of at least seven games in the same season, winning nine- and 13-straight games in 1980-81. The nine-game winning streak was tied for the sixth-longest in program history and marked the third-consecutive year that ISU has won nine-in-a-row. The Redbirds’ current eight-consecutive wins have all come in Valley play, the fourth-longest conference streak in program history, and their eight-straight home wins is tied for the third-longest home winning streak.

HOME, SWEET HOME
When Illinois State is inside Redbird Arena, the Redbirds are almost unstoppable. ISU is 9-0 at home this season, winning eight of the games by double-digits. ISU is averaging 73.6 points per game at home and allowing just 55.8 for a scoring margin of 17.8. The Redbirds are shooting 44.1 percent and averaging 44.6 rebounds per game, while holding their opponents to 34.0 percent shooting and 33.6 rebounds per game. ISU’s nine-straight home wins to start the year is tied for the second-longest streak in school history.

CIRONE APPROACHES ISU SCORING TITLE
Let the countdown begin. Senior Kristi Cirone moved into second place in career scoring at ISU with her six first-half points against Eastern Illinois and now is poised to make a run at Cathy Boswell at the top of the list. Cirone currently has 1,908 points, putting her 97 behind Boswell’s 2,005. With at least 8 games left on the schedule, Cirone would have to average 12.1 points per game to become ISU’s new scoring queen. To break the record in the final home game of the year against UNI March 1, she needs to average 19.4 ppg over the next five games.