ISU Faces Wisconsin in WNIT Second Round Sunday

March 18, 2011

REDBIRDS-BADGERS SERIES
Illinois State leads the all-time series with Wisconsin, 9-5. Illinois State went 9-2 through the first 11 meetings, but since then, Wisconsin has won three-straight. The series began in 1975 with Redbird wins on consecutive days in December. Wisconsin beat ISU for the first time in the 1978 AIAW Regional Tournament, 91-82. ISU won seven of the next eight meetings through 1990, including a 3-1 record in Wisconsin. The Badgers have won the last three meetings in 1991, 1995 and 1997. Illinois State is 70-76 all-time against Big Ten teams. Last season in the WNIT, ISU beat Purdue and Wisconsin.

REDBIRDS TOP CHIPPEWAS IN WNIT FIRST ROUND
Illinois State opened the 2011 WNIT with a 72-59 win over Central Michigan on St. Patrick's Day. The Redbirds held CMU, who entered the game averaging 81.2 points per game, to its second-lowest scoring total of the season and forced 23 turnovers. Kenyatta Shelton scored ISU's first seven points and ISU led 16-8 early. Central Michigan cut the deficit to four, but the Redbird offense continued to click and they led 35-25 at half. ISU shot 50 percent in the first half. ISU had an 11-3 run early in the second half and a three-point play by Shala Jackson, who scored a game-high 19 points, gave ISU its biggest lead of the game, 59-37.

WNIT NOTABLES
Illinois State has won its first game in the WNIT in its last four appearances in the tournament ... Kenyatta Shelton tied her career-high with four blocks, which were tied for the second-most by a Redbird in a WNIT game ... Shelton's 14 rebounds were also tied for the second-most in ISU WNIT history ... ISU's eight team blocks were also tied for the second-most in a WNIT game.

THEY CALL HER TT FOR A REASON
Kenyatta Shelton has earned the nickname "TT" throughout her Redbird career, which stands for "Tournament Time", because she always seems to step up her game in big tournaments. In seven WNIT games, Shelton is averaging 9.1 rebounds per game. She had a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds in her first-career WNIT game against Rice. In the 2009 WNIT, she had 12 rebounds against both Marquette and Indiana. In the 2011 WNIT opener, she had a double-double of 10 points and 14 rebounds against Central Michigan. Her 14 rebounds and four blocks against the Chippewas were both tied for the second-most by a Redbird in a WNIT game. She also had four blocks against Rice, setting her career-high. In the 2008 NCAA Tournament, Shelton had nine blocks against third-seed Oklahoma.

ISU IN THE POSTSEASON WNIT
Illinois State is making its 10th appearance in the Postseason WNIT (1980, 1982, 1984, 1988, 1990, 1996, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011) and has a 15-15 all-time record in the tournament. The Redbirds are in the WNIT for the fourth time in the last five seasons, posting an 9-3 record during that span. ISU is 8-1 all-time in WNIT games in Redbird Arena.

FIVE-PEAT
Illinois State's berth in the 2011 Postseason WNIT puts the Redbirds in the postseason for the fifth-consecutive season. ISU made WNIT trips in four of the last five years and appeared in the NCAA Tournament in 2008. ISU's five-year postseason run is the second-longest in school history, behind six-straight trips from 1980-85.

ROAD WOES
Illinois State is 6-10 in games away from Redbird Arena (including neutral site games). The Redbirds went 3-6 on the road in Valley play. ISU is scoring 64.3 points per game and shooting 39.9 percent on the road, as opposed to scoring 74.2 points per game and shooting 46.4 percent at home.