Redbirds Visit SIU Edwardsville in Final Non-Conference Game

Jan. 3, 2010

FASTBREAK POINTS
Illinois State has already lost more home games this season (3) than all of last season (1) ... ISU and SIUE are playing for the first time ever ... ISU didn't lose its fifth game until its 28th game of the season in 2008-09 and 27th game in 2007-08.

REDBIRDS-COUGARS SERIES
Illinois State and SIU Edwardsville are meeting for the first time. SIUE started competing in Division I in 2007.

LAST TIME OUT
ISU opened the new year with its first MVC loss of the season, falling to Creighton, 69-44. The Redbirds made just 19 field goals and scored 22 points in each half. Creighton made eight three-pointers in the first half to build a 17-point halftime lead. The Bluejays had four starters score in double-figures and outrebounded the Redbirds, 43-31. Emily Hanley was the only Redbird to score in double-figures, tying her season-high with 10 points.

GETTING OFF ON THE WRONG FOOT
Illinois State started out 2010 in a bad way with a 25-point loss to Creighton Jan. 2. ISU suffered its worst in Valley play since a 71-36 defeat at Bradley Jan. 6, 2002, and its worst home Valley loss since falling to Missouri State, 80-46, Jan. 20, 2000. The loss was ISU's second to Creighton by 25 point, the first coming Feb. 11, 2001, and was the second-largest in the 40-game history of the series, behind only a 31-point loss, 75-44, in the MVC Tournament March 8, 1994.

BIG LOSS
Illinois State was in an unfamiliar position when the final buzzer sounded against Creighton and the scoreboard read 69-44 in favor of the Bluejays. The Redbirds suffered their worst loss since falling to Green Bay, 92-64, Dec. 22, 2006. ISU played 101 games between the 25-point losses, winning 14 games by 20 points during that stretch. In the 201 games that Robin Pingeton has coached Illinois State, the lost to Creighton was by the sixth-largest margin. ISU hadn't lost a home game by 25 points since falling to Illinois, 71-46, Dec. 1, 2002.

HOME NOT SO SWEET HOME
After spending 24 days away from Redbird Arena in December, Illinois State would probably like to forget its recent three-game home stretch. ISU went 1-2 and scored just 60.7 points per game after averaging 69.9 points per game over the first nine contests. The Redbirds really struggled shooting the ball, shooting only 36.6 percent (67-183) from the field and 24.0 percent (12-50) from three-point range, and averaged 12.0 turnovers per game.

THREE, OH, IT'S A MAGIC NUMBER
Three is the magic number when predicting Redbird success this season. ISU is shooting 33.6 percent (37-110) from three-point range in its seven wins, as opposed to 27.7 percent (23-83) in its five losses. Perhaps more notably, Redbird opponents are averaging nearly three more made three-pointers in wins (7.6) than in losses (5.0). ISU's loss to Ball State was the only one when the Redbirds' opponent didn't make more threes then them.

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 third in the Valley in scoring (16.3 ppg) and has scored in double-figures in 10 of the 12 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 5.2 per game.

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 23 blocks, ranking fourth in the Valley, and has had multiple blocks in eight games, including a season-high four against Drake.

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 (8.0 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 (4.9 rpg), fifth in scoring (6.7 ppg). She has scored a season-high 10 points twice 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 (.788) and have four players ranked in the top-10 in the conference. The Redbirds hase shot lower than 70 percent from the line just once 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 (1,251) and redshirt senior Nicolle Lewis (1,165) 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.

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).