ISU Hosts UNI and Bradley to Close out Three-Game Homestand

Feb. 9, 2012

 

NORMAL, Ill. - The Redbirds will wrap up a three-game homestand by hosting Northern Iowa Friday and Bradley Sunday, after defeating Indiana State last weekend. ISU has a 12-9 overall record and are 7-3 in the Missouri Valley Conference.

Katie Broadway scored 26 points, including 18 in the first half, to lead Illinois State past the Sycamores, 78-67, Feb. 3 on Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena. Broadway was one of three Redbirds in double figures, as Jamie Russell scored 17 and Marley Hall contributed 15. The leading rebounder was Candace Sykes, who grabbed eight boards to go with nine points.

ISU leads the all-time series with Northern Iowa, 37-25, but the Panthers have had the Redbirds' number as of late, holding a 22-9 advantage since 1998. The series, which began in 1976, is the fourth-longest in Illinois State history.

FLASHBACK: JAN. 14, 2012-ILLINOIS STATE 73, NORTHERN IOWA 79
Jamie Russell's 15 points in the second half, with nine of them coming late in the game, weren't enough as the Illinois State women's basketball team fell to Missouri Valley Conference rival Northern Iowa, 79-73, at the McLeod Center. Russell just missed a double-double with 24 points and nine rebounds, while also rejecting two Panther shots. Marley Hall netted 15 points and grabbed seven rebounds, while Katie Broadway added 13 points. Katy Winge set a career-high with 10 points in 29 minutes of play. UNI outrebounded ISU 44-36 and just out shot the Redbirds, going 44 percent from the field, while Illinois State shot 41 percent.

ILLINOIS STATE-NORTHERN IOWA SERIES
Illinois State leads the all-time series with Northern Iowa, 37-25. The series began in 1976 and is the fourth-longest in program history. ISU started the series with a 28-3 record, which included a 22-game winning streak. Since then, UNI holds a 22-9 advantage in the series. The Redbirds have won consecutive games just once during that stretch, winning both regular-season meetings during the 2009-10 season. UNI upset ISU in the 2010 State Farm MVC Tournament semifinals, 61-59, en route to winning the tournament title. ISU is 22-9 in contests played in Normal, Ill.

FLASHBACK: JAN. 12, 2012-ILLINOIS STATE 67, BRADLEY 65
Senior Katie Broadway sank 25 points in the Illinois State women's basketball team's win over Bradley, 67-65, at the Renaissance Coliseum. Broadway's 25 were one point shy of her career high. The win marked the first road win for the Redbirds since their season opener at Ball State (Nov. 11). Alexis Jenkins netted 15 points, while Jamie Russell added 12 and recorded four steals. Candace Sykes led the Redbirds with six rebounds. ISU shot 41 percent from the field and recorded 34 boards compared to Bradley's 37 shooting percentage and 51 rebounds.

ILLINOIS STATE-BRADLEY SERIES
Illinois State leads the all-time series with Bradley, 42-17. The two teams have met at least twice each year since 1984. While Bradley has never won more than two-consecutive games over ISU, the Redbirds have four winning streaks of at least four games. ISU is currently on a 13-game winning streak dating back to 2006, with nine of those wins coming by double-digits. Last season, the Redbirds won both meetings by an average of 14 points and won both meetings in 2008 by 33 points each. Illinois State holds a 21-7 advantage in games played in Normal, Ill.

SHE DID IT AGAIN
For the fourth time this season, junior transfer Jamie Russell was named the Missouri Valley Conference Newcomer of the Week (Feb. 6). Russell also received the honor on Nov. 28, Jan. 2 and Jan. 16. Russell has played a crucial part for the Redbirds on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball during the 2011-12 season. On the season, Russell leads ISU in steals (48) and assists (77) and is the team's second-leading scorer with 12.0 points per game. Russell was perfect (7-of-7) from the free throw line in Illinois State's 78-67 win over Indiana State Friday (Feb. 3). Russell also made five shots from the field, collecting 17 points in the game. She recorded five rebounds, including four on the offensive side of the ball. In 30 minutes of play, Russell also handed out three assists and had two steals.

HOME COURT ADVANTAGE
After topping Indiana State at home (Feb. 3), the Illinois State women's basketball team holds a 21-game conference win streak of games played on Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena. The last time ISU lost to a Missouri Valley Conference foe in Redbird Arena was during the 2009-10 season, when Creighton topped the Redbirds, 69-44, on Jan. 2, 2010.

TOUGH D
In Illinois State's 78-67 win over Indiana State (Feb. 3), the Redbirds forced 23 Sycamore turnovers and turned the Indiana State miscues into 26 points. It is the most points the Redbirds have scored off of turnovers all season. The previous high came against Southern Illinois, when ISU made 25 points off of SIU turnovers in the 75-51 win over the Salukis.

BATTLE DOWN LOW
Illinois State had 30 points in the paint in its victory over Indiana State (Feb. 3), 78-67, which is the third-highest total of the season. Through 10 Missouri Valley Conference games, the Redbirds have scored 30 or more points in the paint in four contests.

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