ISU Closes Out Home Schedule Against Bradley, Northern Iowa

Feb. 24, 2010

FASTBREAK POINTS
Illinois State is on a 13-game winning streak, its longest of the season ... Illinois State can clinch the MVC regular season championship with a win over Bradley ... Thursday's game is the fifth between ISU and Bradley when both teams have 10 conference wins ... Illinois State and Bradley are the top-two rebounding teams in the Valley.

 

REDBIRDS-BRAVES SERIES
Illinois State leads the all-time series with Bradley, 38-17. ISU has had five winning streaks of at least four games in the series, including a current nine-game winning streak. Bradley has won consecutive games five times, but never more than two-straight games. During the Redbirds' current nine-game winning streak, the have an average margin of victory of 18.3 points and won both games in 2008 by 33 points. Bradley has not won at Redbird Arena since 2003.

 

REDBIRDS-PANTHERS SERIES
Illinois State leads the all-time series with Northern Iowa, 35-22. After UNI won the first meeting in 1976, Illinois State won 28 of the next 30 games, including 22-straight. Northern Iowa has a 19-7 edge since then. The Panthers beat the Redbirds in Redbird Arena last season, 76-73, in overtime.

 

FLASHBACK: ILLINOIS STATE 68 - BRADLEY 53 (JAN. 31)
Ashleen Bracey and Nicolle Lewis combined for 41 points and 15 rebounds, leading Illinois State to a 68-53 win at Bradley Jan. 31. ISU closed out the first half with an 18-4 run to take a 36-21 lead, holding Bradley to just one field goal in the final nine minutes. The lead grew as big as 26 points in the second half.

 

LAST TIME OUT
Illinois State won its 20th game by beating Southern Illinois, 80-63, Feb. 20. Ashleen Bracey recorded another double-double with 26 points and 10 rebounds, bringing her total to seven on the season. She scored half of ISU's points in the first 10 minutes to double up SIU, 26-13. A 16-9 run to start the second half pushed the lead to 20 points, 58-38.

 

REDBIRDS EYE MVC TITLE
Illinois State holds a three-game lead over second-place Bradley in the Valley standings with four games left to play, putting the Redbirds in prime position to win the MVC Regular Season Championship. A win over Bradley Thursday would clinch the seventh regular-season title for ISU. The Redbirds would also clinch a third-consecutive championships for just the second time (1988-90) and back-to-back outright conference titles for the first time ever. Illinois State has won the MVC Regular-Season Championship outright three times (1985, 1989, 2009).

 

TONIGHT ON 20/20
With the 80-63 win at Southern Illinois, Illinois State earned its 13th 20-win season. The Redbirds have won 20 games in four-straight seasons for the first time ever, surpassing the three-consecutive from 1983-85 and 1988-90. The Redbirds reached the 20-win plateau in just 25 games, tied for the third-fewest games ever, and have posted more wins (77) in the past three seasons than any other three-year span. The recent success is even more remarkable considering that in the 16 seasons between 20-win seasons (1991-2006), ISU averaged just 11.6 wins per year.

 

DOUBLE BARREL WINNERS
On Feb. 20, both the Illinois State men's and women's basketball teams won their 20th games of the season. Illinois State is one of six schools to have both its men's and women's basketball teams win 20 games in three-consecutive seasons Duke, Gonzaga, Illinois State, Temple, Tennessee, Xavier.

 

WE'RE GOING STREAKING!!
Since losing to Creighton by 25 points in the second MVC game of the season, Illinois State has won 13-straight games. The current streak is tied for the third-longest in school history, matching the streak in 1980-81. ISU has also won 12-straight Valley games, tied for the second-longest in school history. The Redbirds have had a double-digit winning streak in each of the last three seasons, the first time that has occurred in program history.

 

HIGH PERCENTAGE OFFENSE
Head coach Robin Pingeton has attributed much of ISU's recent success to better shot selection. The statistics show she is right, as the Redbird offense has been red hot during the 13-game winning streak. ISU is averaging 75.2 points per game and shooting 49.0 percent from the field in the last 13 games. Six of the top-seven Redbird scorers are shooting above 45 percent from the field. ISU has won the 13-consecutive games by an average of 14.5 points, scoring above 70 points nine times. Prior to the 13-game winning streak, Illinois State was ranked 166th in the nation with a 39.7% field goal percentage. As of Feb. 22, the Redbirds had moved up to 25th in the nation with a 44.4% field goal percentage.

 

DEFENSE MAKES WINNING STREAKS
Illinois State's 13-game winning streak isn't all about the offense; the Redbird defense has turned up the intensity as well. ISU is holding its opponents to 60.6 points per game and 36.0 field goal percentage in the last 13 games. The Redbirds have won 10 of the games by double-digits, including two 29-point victories.

 

FIRST HALF, FIRST PLACE
For the fourth-consecutive season, Illinois State finished the first half of the Valley season in first place. ISU has won at least eight games in the first half of the Valley season in four-straight years. The second half of the season hasn't been as successful for the Redbirds. In the last three full seasons, ISU posted a 25-2 record in the first half and a 16-11 record in the second half. In each of coach Pingeton's first four years at ISU, the Redbirds had a 4-5 record in the second half of conference play. The Redbirds are bucking that trend this year, with a 5-0 mark in the second half.

 

1,000-POINT CLUB
For the fourth time in program history, Illinois State has three players on one team who have scored 1,000 points in their careers. Seniors Ashleen Bracey, Maggie Krick, Nicolle Lewis are all members of the 1,000-point club; with Krick and Lewis reaching the milestone last season and Bracey becoming the 25th member against Missouri State (Feb. 14). The trio is also the first senior class consisting of three 1,000-point scorers. There have been three previous seasons with three 1,000-point scorers on one team (1989-90: Char Govan, Cindy Kaufman, LuAnn Robinson; 1997-98: Jenny Schmidt, Valarie Trame, Corinne Vossel; 2008-09: Kristi Cirone, Krick, Lewis).

 

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 59.8 percent of the ISU scoring production and 49.9 percent of its rebounding. One of the trio has led ISU in scoring in 23 of the 25 games this year. All three players rank in the top-15 in the Valley in scoring and rebounding. The win over Indiana State (Feb. 6) was the trio's 91st together, making them the winningest senior class in Illinois State history.

 

REDBIRD RECORD BREAKERS
Illinois State's trio of seniors - Ashleen Bracey, Maggie Krick, Nicolle Lewis - are all making their mark on the Illinois State record book. Bracey's career-high 26 points against Missouri State Feb. 14 made her the 25th member of the 1,000-point club. She has also broken into the top-10 in career rebounds at ISU. Krick is ranked fourth in career three-pointers (161) and could become the third player in school history to reach 200. She also cracked the school's top-10 scoring ranks with 17 points against Indiana State (Feb. 6). Lewis is already ISU's career leader in blocks and moved into second place in the Valley ranks this season. She moved into the top-10 on the school's rebounding list and could crack the top-10 in scoring as well. She played in her 134th game at Southern Illinois Feb. 20, surpassing the record Deb Benak held since 1983.

 

DIGGIN' THE VALLEY
Senior Ashleen Bracey is loving Missouri Valley Conference play and putting in her bid for player of the year, leading the Redbirds in scoring (16.9 ppg) and rebounding (9.0 rpg), while shooting 54.4 percent (87-160) from the field, 40.4 percent (19-47) from three-point range and 89.6 percent (43-48) at the free throw line. She is second in the Valley in scoring, third in rebounding and fifth in field goal percentage in conference play. After not recording a double-double in non-conference play, Bracey has seven in the 14 Valley games thus far; coming one rebound short in three others. She has won three of the last five MVC Player of the Week awards, tied for the most in the conference this season.

 

ON POINT
Junior Amanda Clifton had the daunting task of replacing All-American point guard Kristi Cirone this season. After struggling through the beginning of the season, Clifton has excelled with a 2.9 assist-to-turnover ratio over the last 19 games. Clifton has 72 assists and 25 turnovers during that span, recording at least four assists and no turnovers in four games. She leads the Valley in assist-to-turnover ratio both overall (2.1) and in conference play (2.6), ranking 17th in the nation overall.

 

DOUBLE YOUR PLEASURE
Illinois State is 14-0 this season when a player records a double-double. Seniors Ashleen Bracey and Nicolle Lewis have combined for 14 double-doubles this season, continuing their climb up the all-time rankings. All seven of Bracey's double-doubles have come in Valley play and she has 19 in her career, the fourth-most in school history. Lewis' seven double-doubles give her 17 in her career, the sixth-most in school history. Junior Shala Jackson recorded her fourth-career double-double at Eastern Illinois.

 

BRIGHT LIGHTS OF BROADWAY
Illinois State sophomore Katie Broadway has been putting on a show over the last 13 games, averaging 8.8 points per game and shooting 50.0 percent (29-58) from three-point range. Broadway scored a career-high 20 points at Indiana State, making six three-pointers, and mad her first-career start at Evansville, scoring 10 points. She has made 26 of her 58 three-pointers in Valley play, ranking first in three-point field goal percentage (.448) in conference play. She shot 14-for-55 from three-point range her entire freshman season.

 

FREEBIES, BUT GOODIES
ISU is cashing in its free throws this season and is on pace to shatter the school's free throw percentage record. The Redbirds lead the nation in free throw percentage (.812) and have four players ranked in the top-15 in the conference. The Redbirds are averaging 15.6 makes per contest and have made 20 free throws in eight games. ISU was a perfect 10-for-10 from the free throw line at Evansville, marking the eighth perfect game in school history. The Jan. 2 loss to Creighton was the only game this year the Redbirds have shot less than 70 percent from the charity stripe, making just 4-of-6 (.667). Northern Iowa is right behind ISU, ranking second in the country with an 81.0 free throw percentage.

 

THREE, OH, IT'S A MAGIC NUMBER
Three is the magic number when predicting Redbird success this season. ISU is shooting 36.5 percent (118-323) from three-point range in its 20 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 when they win (7.6) than when they lose (5.2). ISU's loss to Ball State was the only one when the Redbirds made more three-pointers than their opponent. ISU is allowing opponents to make 5.6 threes per game and shoot 33.6 percent from long range overall, which ranks 257th in the nation.

 

THREE-COLA!
Under head coach Robin Pingeton, Illinois State has become a deadly three-point shooting team. The top-seven single-season three-point field goal records in Illinois State history are all Pingeton teams. From 1987-2003 (17 seasons), Illinois State had only seven teams make 100 three-pointers in a season. The Redbirds have made at least 100 in all seven years with Pingeton at the helm.

 

Nicolle Lewis: QUEEN OF THE BLOCK
Redshirt senior Nicolle Lewis has accumulated some impressive defensive accolades in her career. She became Illinois State's career leader in blocks in just three years, is only the fifth player in Valley history to amass 200 blocks and moved into second place in Valley career blocks this season. Lewis leads the Redbirds with 47 blocks and leads the Valley with a 2.1 blocks per game average in conference play. She has had multiple blocks in 14 games, including six blocked shots against Wichita State (Feb. 12), which was tied for the third-most in school history.

 

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 players are on the court this year and making quite an impact. Hanley is third on the team in field goal percentage (.491), fourth in rebounding (4.5 rpg) and sixth in scoring (6.3 ppg). She scored a career-high 14 points against Southern Illinois and had a career-best 10 rebounds at Illinois-Chicago. Spanich is fourth on the team in scoring (6.4 ppg), third in blocks (17) and fourth in steals (20). She averaged 8.5 ppg in her first six games as a Redbird, which earned her a spot in the starting lineup. She has scored in double-figures seven times, including a career-high 15 against Indiana State.

 

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.

 

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. 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.