NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State women's basketball team opens Missouri Valley Conference play Sunday, as it hosts in-state rival Southern Illinois at 2:05 p.m. The game will wrap up a six-game homestand for ISU, as the Redbirds look for their first win of the season.
On Sunday (Dec. 28), DePaul turned defense into offense, scoring 45 points off 35 turnovers en route to a 99-62 win on Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena.
Taylor Stewart earned a double-double with 16 points and a career-best 10 rebounds, including a perfect 7-of-7 effort at the free throw line. She was joined in double-figures by Katy Winge, who scored 14 points, and Stekara Hall, who netted 11. Four Blue Demons tallied 10 or more points.
The Redbirds (9-4) went 23-for-23 at the free throw line before missing, and ISU (0-11) finished 25-for-27 at the charity stripe. DePaul shot 46.4 percent from the field, and Illinois State shot 32.7 percent.
Illinois State leads the all-time series with Southern Illinois, 54-38. In the longest running series in school history, Illinois State has played Southern Illinois annually since 1972. The Redbirds went 22-5 against the Salukis through 1985. After that, SIU posted a 29-13 record in the series, including a string of 12-straight wins. The Redbirds have won 12-straight over the Salukis. Illinois State holds a 29-19 advantage of games played in Normal, Ill., the last time ISU lost to SIU at home was March 6, 2008, when the Salukis grabbed a three-point victory.
HERE WE GO
With the non-conference schedule wrapped up, the Illinois State women's basketball team is ready to open the 2014-15 Missouri Valley Conference slate. The Redbirds hope to open the conference schedule with a win, like they have the last several seasons. ISU has opened Valley play with a win the last eight-consecutive seasons. The last time the 'Birds opened the conference season with a loss was during the 2005-06 season, when they fell to Southern Illinois (Dec. 30), 87-65, in Redbird Arena.
PREPARING FOR CONFERENCE PLAY
The Illinois State women's basketball team has never shied away from a tough non-conference schedule, and the 2014-15 season was no different. ISU played 11 games during the non-conference schedule, including six home contests and one exhibition game. The Redbirds faced off against four opponents that won their respective conferences in 2013-14, including Bowling Green, Colorado State, DePaul and Tennessee-Martin. Seven of the non-conference foes made postseason appearances, as Arizona State, DePaul and Tennessee-Martin appeared in the NCAA Tournament, while Bowling Green, Butler and Colorado State participated in the Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT), with Northern Kentucky in the Women's Basketball Invitational (WBI).
LOOKING FOR A NEW STREAK
The Illinois State women's basketball team opened the 2014-15 season dropping 11-straight games. The Redbirds are the first team in program history to fall in its first 11 games. The 2001-02 team lost its first seven games, before defeating Northern Illinois (Dec. 20, 2001) by three points in Normal, Illinois. ISU hopes the tough non-conference season will result in its first victory in Missouri Valley Conference play and start a winning streak.
THROUGH THE RANKS
On Sunday, the Redbirds welcomed in-state rival No. 25 DePaul to Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena. The contest was the final non-conference opponent of the 2014-15 season for ISU, while DePaul was the first ranked opponent Illinois State faced this season. Since the 1971-72 season, the women's basketball program has competed against 60 ranked teams, as Dec. 28th marked the 61st game against a ranked opponent. The last time ISU faced a ranked rival was during the 2011-12 season, when the Redbirds played against then-ranked No. 23/21 DePaul. The Blue Demons defeated the Redbirds, 73-54, at Redbird Arena on Dec. 19, 2011. The 2014-15 meeting marked the fifth time the two teams have competed when DePaul was ranked.
AT THE CHARITY STRIPE
Against No. 25 DePaul, the Redbirds had their best performance at the free throw line this season, ending the game 25-27 (.926) at the charity stripe. ISU didn't miss its first free throw until the 4:22 mark of the second half. Five Redbirds were perfect from the free throw line in the game, as Taylor Stewart was 7-of-7 in the loss for a career high. The 27 attempted free throws were the most this season by ISU, defeating the previous high of 22 attempted free throws at Miami (Nov. 28). The 25 made free throws double the previous best of 12, which ISU accomplished three times this season.
TRIPLE THREAT
Against Bowling Green (Dec. 19), the Redbirds had three players record double-digit scoring efforts for the first time this season. Octavia Crump (17), Stekara Hall (14) and Katy Winge (11) all netted double-digit performances. Three days later against Butler (Dec. 22), the trio scored in double figures for the second game in a row. Crump led the way again with 15 points, while Hall and Winge both added 11. When No. 25 DePaul visited Redbird Arena, three Redbirds put up double-digit scoring performances for the third-straight game. Hall (11) and Winge (14) both netted double figures for the third-consecutive game, while Taylor Stewart (16) was the third Redbird in the game to score in double figures. Stewart's 16 points tied a career high for the sophomore guard.
DOUBLE THE FUN
On Dec. 28, against then-No. 25 DePaul, sophomore guard Taylor Stewart recorded the first double-double of her career, as she pulled down 10 rebounds to go with 16 points, both setting career highs. Stewart was a perfect 7-of-7 from the free throw line in the loss.
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