Redbirds and Sycamores Clash Saturday On ESPNU

Feb. 6, 2009

 

PLAYERS TO WATCH
Kristi Cirone – G – ILLINOIS STATE
Cirone leads the Redbirds and the Valley in scoring, averaging 19.0 points per game. She also ranks second in the Valley in field goal percentage (.531), three-point field goal percentage (.454), assists (6.2) and steals (2.5). Cirone picked up her fourth MVC Player of the Week award Monday, the most of any player this season. She had 16 points, nine assists and three steals in the loss to Indiana State earlier this year.

KELSEY LUNA – G – ILLINOIS STATE
Luna leads the Sycamores and ranks third in the Valley, averaging 15.2 points per game. She is one of the best long-distance shooters in the Valley, leading the conference in three-pointers per game (3.2) and ranking third in three-point field goal percentage (.423). Luna demonstrated her three-point acumen in the first meeting with the Redbirds, nailing five triples to contribute to her 25-point performance.

FASTBREAK POINTS
Illinois State has lost at least four games in the second half of the season in each of the last five years … Indiana State was the only team to beat Illinois State in conference play this season … Indiana State last swept the season series in 2006 … Indiana State has lost two players to injury this season.

REDBIRDS-SYCAMORES SERIES
Illinois State leads the all-time series with Indiana State, 37-33. The series began in 1972 and Illinois State won 23 of the first 33 meetings, including a 16-2 run in the 80’s and early 90’s. The Sycamores have won 18 of the last 26 meetings, including 10-straight wins at one point. Robin Pingeton is 7-5 all-time against Indiana State.

LAST TIME OUT VS. INDIANA STATE
Indiana State used two big runs in the second half to top Illinois State, 72-65, Jan. 10 to snap the Redbirds’ nine-game winning streak. The Sycamores trailed by six at halftime, but opened the second half with a 14-2 run and once the Redbirds came back to take a three-point lead, went on a 12-2 run to seal the victory. The final 12 Indiana State points came at the free throw line. Kristi Cirone led the Redbirds with 16 points and nine assists. Kelsey Luna scored a game-high 25 points, including five three-pointers, to pace the Sycamores.

LAST YEAR VS. INDIANA STATE
Illinois State swept the season series with Indiana State last season, winning by an average of 21 points. Four Redbirds averaged double-digits in scoring against the Sycamores last year: Maggie Krick (16.5), Nicolle Lewis (15.5), Shala Jackson (13.5) and Kristi Cirone (12.5). Seven Redbirds averaged better than four rebounds per game, led by Jackson (8.5).

HOME, SWEET HOME
When Illinois State is inside Redbird Arena, the Redbirds are almost unstoppable. ISU is 7-0 at home this season, winning six of the games by double-digits. ISU averaging 74.7 points per game at home and allowing just 56.4 for a scoring margin of 18.3. The Redbirds are shooting 45.1 percent and averaging 43.1 rebounds per game, while holding their opponents to 34.6 percent shooting and 33.0 rebounds per game. ISU’s seven-straight wins to start the year is the third-longest streak in program history.

REDBIRD LEGEND LEWIS TO BE HONORED AT HALFTIME
During halftime of today’s game, there will be a special tribute to the late Redbird legend Charlotte Lewis. The first All-American in Illinois State women’s basketball history, Lewis was one of the most prolific rebounders in program history. Lewis won an Olympic silver medal in 1976 and played professionally around the world. She was inducted into the Illinois State Athletics Hall of Fame in 1983. Lewis passed away Sept. 17, 2007.

CIRONE UP FOR NATIONAL AWARDS
The success that senior Kristi Cirone has had this season has not gone unnoticed on the national scene. Cirone is a contender for two of the most prestigious NCAA Division I player of the year awards. Cirone was added to the 2008-09 State Farm Wade Trophy Watch List Jan. 21. Cirone and four other Division I student-athletes were added to the list that already consisted of 25 players from the preseason to comprise the 30 candidates for the award. She is the first Illinois State player to be included on the list. Cirone was then a part of the John R. Wooden Award Midseason Top-20 candidates Jan. 30.

CIRONE IS TWO-TIME HONORABLE MENTION WBCA PLAYER OF THE MONTH
Senior Kristi Cirone received an honorable mention honor for the WBCA Player of the Month award for December and January. Cirone averaged 18.4 points, 5.7 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 2.7 steals over the seven games in the December, leading the Redbirds to wins in all of them. She scored in double-figures six times, including 20 points in the last four games of the month. Cirone was just as impressive in January, averaging 19.9 points, 6.9 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 2.8 steals per game while guiding the Redbirds to an 8-1 record. She shot better than 50 percent from the field in both months.

CIRONE OF THE WEEK
That is what the MVC Player of the Week award may be renamed after senior Kristi Cirone’s career is over. Cirone has won four Valley Player of the Week awards this year (Dec. 29, Jan. 5, Jan. 26, Feb. 2), the only player to be honored multiple times this season, giving her 10 in her career. Cirone is the third player to win at least 10 awards in her career and is tied with Drake’s Wanda Ford for the second-most all-time. Missouri State’s Jackie Stiles collected 18 awards in her career. Cirone has also been named the Prairie Farms/MVC Scholar-Athlete of the Week five times this season, giving her 11 honors in her career.

A KEEN OFFENSIVE PROWESS
After a slow start to the year, the Illinois State offense kicked into high gear with 94 points in the third game of the season and has been going strong ever since. ISU has the 17th-best scoring offense (74.5 ppg) and 19th-best field goal percentage (.454) in the nation, while leading the Valley in both categories. The Redbirds have scored less than 60 points just once this year and have scored over 70 in 13 games, winning each one. Of ISU’s 17 wins this season, 15 have been by double-digit margins. ISU’s +13.2 scoring margin leads the Valley and ranks 31st in the country.

STIFLING DEFENSE
Over the past few seasons, Illinois State’s offense has been the biggest key to the team’s success, but this year, the Redbirds’ defense is just as dominant. ISU is holding its opponents to just 61.3 points per game and 36.0 percent field goal shooting, which ranks the ‘Birds 38th in the nation. The Redbirds have held opponents to less than 60 points nine times, including four games of less than 50, which is tied for the sixth-most in a season in school history.

REDBIRDS MAKE THE BEST OF SECOND CHANCES
Illinois State is taking advantage of every offensive possession and fighting hard for every point, averaging 13.1 offensive rebounds and 12.9 second-chance points per game. The Redbirds have had double-digit offensive rebounds in 17 games, including a season-high 21 against Missouri State, which was tied for the sixth-most in program single-game history. Sophomore Shala Jackson leads the conference with 3.3 offensive rebounds per game in Valley play.

TAKING CARE OF THE ROCK
Once again, Illinois State is one of the nation’s best ball-handling teams. ISU ranks sixth in NCAA Division I in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.12), 14th in assists per game (16.6) and 19th in turnovers per game (14.8). The Redbirds have had only eight games with more turnovers than assists and has handed out at least 15 assists in 14 games. Senior Kristi Cirone, who led the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio last year, ranks seventh in the category this season (2.52).

FANTASTIC FIVE
The Redbirds have used the starting lineup of senior Kristi Cirone, juniors Ashleen Bracey, Maggie Krick and Nicolle Lewis and sophomore Shala Jackson for most of the season and the group has led the Redbirds all year. They make up the top-five ISU scorers and one of the players has led the team in scoring every game this season. In games that with this starting lineup, ISU is 15-1, averaging 77.3 points per game and allowing just 57.8 points per game. The quintet produces 76.3 percent of the Redbird offense as a starting unit and all five players are averaging better than 8.5 points per game.

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 1,881 points, putting her 124 behind Boswell’s 2,005. With at least 10 games left on the schedule, Cirone would have to average 12.4 points per game to become ISU’s new scoring queen.