NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State women's basketball team travels to Cedar Falls, Iowa, for its second game of the weekend to take on Northern Iowa Sunday at 2:05 p.m. Illinois State leads the all-time series with Northern Iowa in a convincing 41-27 series record.
ISU couldn't slow down a hot-shooting Drake team that shot 57 percent from the field and fell, 86-51, Friday at the Knapp Center. In the Redbird loss, the Bulldogs scored 52 points in the paint and drained 68 percent of their shot attempts in the second half.
The Redbirds (0-13, 0-2 MVC) were led by Octavia Crump, who netted 12 points, including a perfect 6-of-6 performance from the free throw line. Mary Sims and Taylor Stewart both added 11 points. Colleene Smith led the team with eight rebounds, while Crump and Zenobia Bess each grabbed five. Drake (8-6, 3-0 MVC) had five players in double figures.
ISU struggled from the field in the game, as it shot 26 percent, but the team connected on 87 percent from the charity stripe. The Bulldogs dominated the boards, pulling down 47 compared to the Redbirds' 31 rebounds.
ILLINOIS STATE-NORTHERN IOWA SERIES
Illinois State leads the all-time series with Northern Iowa, 41-27. 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 25-19 advantage in the series. ISU holds a slight 16-15 record in games played in Cedar Falls, Iowa.
ON THE ROAD AGAIN
The Illinois State women's basketball team will return to the road for the first time this weekend in over a month. The Redbirds last road game was Nov. 29, against Buffalo in the Miami Thanksgiving tournament in Miami, Florida. Since Nov. 29, the Redbirds hosted six-straight home games and didn't leave Normal, Illinois, for a contest all through December. ISU will travel to Iowa to take on Drake (Jan. 9) and Northern Iowa (Jan. 11) for its first road trip of the Missouri Valley Conference season.
PLAYING IN THE PAINT
In ISU's loss to Drake (Jan. 9), the Bulldogs netted 57 percent of their field goal attempts, which was the highest field goal percentage by a Redbird opponent this season. ISU has allowed eight opponents to shoot 40 percent or better from the field this season. In the 86-51 loss to Drake, the Bulldogs scored 52 points in the paint, the most by an opponent this season. Miami (Nov. 28) scored 50 points in the paint.
LOOKING FOR A SPARK
Against Drake (Jan. 9), head coach Barb Smith went with a different starting lineup for the first time in seven games. Octavia Crump, Stekara Hall and Katy Winge have been in the starting lineup each game this season. The trio was joined by Colleene Smith and Mary Sims for the first starts of their careers. In the game, Sims had a career-high 11 points thanks to a career-high shooting performance from the field and beyond the arc. Sims played 27 minutes in the game, setting a career high in the category.
LOOKING FOR A NEW STREAK
The Illinois State women's basketball team opened the 2014-15 season dropping 13-straight games. The Redbirds are the first team in program history to fall in its first 13 games. The 2001-02 team lost its first seven games, before defeating Northern Illinois (Dec. 20, 2001) by three points in Normal, Illinois. The losing streak ties the longest losing streak in women's basketball history at 13 games, which happened during the 1998-99 season, when the Redbirds were winless from Dec. 30 through Feb. 13.
CALLING CRUMP
Octavia Crump led the Redbirds in their Missouri Valley Conference opener against Southern Illinois, as she recorded the sixth double-double of her career and the second of the season with 13 rebounds to go along with her 14 points. Crump connected on six field goals and two free throws, while collecting six offensive boards in 35 minutes. The Zion, Illinois, native also had two steals in the contest. In ISU's last eight games, dating back to Nov. 29 against Buffalo, Crump has netted 112 points, averaging 14 points per game, leading the team by over four points per game. She has also recorded 11 steals in the last eight games, while connecting on 56 percent of her shot attempts, setting team highs in both. On the season, Crump leads the Redbirds in points per game (11.6) and field goal percentage (.555). She is second on the team in blocks and rebounds.
REBOUNDING MACHINE
Colleene Smith has been dominant on the boards for ISU and has had three double-digit rebounding efforts this season. She is averaging 6.9 rebounds per game, which is a team best. Smith set a career high in ISU's loss to Buffalo, pulling down 13 rebounds, including six on the offensive boards. Against Bowling Green, she grabbed 11 rebounds and pulled down 10 against Butler, including five offensive boards.
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