March 25, 2011
The Illinois State women’s basketball season is rolling deep into March yet again, with the Redbirds in the WNIT Quarterfinals for the third-straight year. ISU hosts Arkansas in the first-ever meeting between the two schools Sunday at 1:05 p.m.
Illinois State faces a team for the first time for the second-straight game. The Redbirds are 1-6 all-time against SEC teams and face a team from the conference for the first time since beating Kentucky, 85-78, Jan. 16 1988. Arkansas has won two road games in the WNIT, including a 65-64 win at Missouri State last Sunday.
The winner of the Illinois State-Arkansas game will face the winner of the Southern Cal-Colorado quarterfinal at a date and time to be determined.
WATCH SUNDAY'S WNIT QUARTERFINAL GAME FREE ONLINE
The Illinois State-Arkansas WNIT game will be broadcast on Redbird All-Access live for FREE on Sunday. Redbird fans can watch all of the action with audio from WJBC live on Redbird All-Access. CLICK HERE TO WATCH.
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 17-15 all-time record in the tournament. The Redbirds are in the WNIT for the fourth time in the last five seasons, posting an 11-3 record during that span. ISU is 9-1 all-time in WNIT games in Redbird Arena.
REDBIRDS-RAZORBACKS SERIES
Illinois State and Arkansas are meeting for the first time in women’s basketball. Illinois State is 1-6 all-time against teams in the Southeast Conference, with a 1-1 record against Kentucky, an 0-1 record against Auburn and 0-2 records against both Tennessee and Vanderbilt.
BIG SECOND HALF LEADS ISU OVER DUQUESNE, 79-66
Illinois State scored a season-high 48 points in the second half, erasing a halftime deficit to beat Duquesne, 79-66, Thursday night. Emily Hanley tied her career-high with 24 points on 9-of-10 shooting and Shala Jackson added 21 points. ISU led 19-9 midway through the first half, but Duquesne used a 16-5 run to pull ahead, 25-24. A three-pointer by Katie Broadway at the end of the half pulled ISU within two, 33-31. ISU opened the second-half with a 12-4 run to regain the lead for good. Alexis Jenkins made a three-pointer off the bench and Hanley scored seven points to give the Redbirds 10 unanswered and stretch their lead to 53-42 at 11:16. The lead swelled to 18 points three minutes later on a pair of free throws. Illinois State shot 51.5 percent in the second half.
REDBIRDS HANG ON TO BEAT WISCONSIN, 62-59
Illinois State held off a late charge by Wisconsin to win a WNIT Second Round game, 62-59, Sunday afternoon. Katie Broadway and Emily Hanley combined for 34 points for the Redbirds, who shot 40 percent from the field and 87 percent from the free throw line. After a slow-paced first half, ISU used a late nine-point run to pull ahead 55-46. Wisconsin came right back to pull within one point with seven seconds left. Hannah Spanich made a pair of free throws and Wisconsin’s last-second three-pointer bounced out to give the Redbirds the win.
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 advanced to the WNIT Quarterfinals in three-consecutive seasons … ISU’s three postseason wins are tied for the second-most in school history (2008-09) …ISU is shooting 75.6 percent on free throws in the WNIT, after shooting 66.1 percent in the regular season … Amanda Clifton is averaging 6.0 assists and 3.3 steals per game in the WNIT … Emily Hanley is shooting 76 percent from the field (19-25) in the WNIT, including a 9-for-10 performance against Duquesne …ISU’s 79 points against Duquesne were the fifth-most in a WNIT game in program history and the most in 18 WNIT games … Kenyatta Shelton’s 14 rebounds and four blocks against Central Michigan were both tied for the second-most by a Redbird in a WNIT game … ISU’s eight team blocks against CMU were also tied for the second-most in a WNIT game.
