NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State women's basketball team opens its 2015-16 home season Wednesday at 7 p.m., against Murray State. It is the first time the two teams will meet on the hardwood in over a decade. The game can be seen on ESPN3.
Octavia Crump was one of two Redbirds to score in double figures, as she led the Illinois State women's basketball team in its 2015-16 season opener Friday night at the Stroh Center. Despite Crump's 19 points, the Redbirds fell to Bowling Green, 70-52, after BGSU outscored ISU, 21-7, in the second quarter.
Crump was nearly perfect in all shooting categories, as she sank 6-of-7 from both the field and the free throw line. Shakeela Fowler was the only other Redbird to reach double figures, as she netted 10 points. Crump and Fowler both grabbed five rebounds, while Fowler collected three steals followed by Crump with two. The Redbirds connected on 33 percent of their field goal attempts, while the Falcons found the bottom of the net on 41 percent of their attempts. ISU struggled from three-point range, shooting 12 percent, while BGSU was able to drain 30 percent of its shots from beyond the arc. Bowling Green outrebounded Illinois State by nine, 44-35.
Fans are encouraged to bring nonperishable food items for the Helping Hands Food Drive. Boxes will be located at each entrance of Redbird Arena, as all donations will benefit Home Sweet Home Ministries.
REDBIRDS-RACERS SERIES
The game will mark the third time in program history that the Redbirds and the Racers will face off on the hardwood. The series is tied 1-1, and the last time the two teams met was Dec. 1, 2001. ISU won the first meeting between the two teams in Murray, Kentucky, on Feb. 13, 1976. The Redbirds defeated the Racers by 13 points, 56-43. Murray State won the second meeting at a neutral site, 65-55.
ABOUT MURRAY STATE
• Murray State is located in Murray, Kentucky, and has an enrollment of 10,943.
• The Racers are members of the Ohio Valley Conference and finished the 2014-15 season 11th in the conference.
• The Racers finished 8-21 last season, with a conference record of 3-13.
• MSU returns eight players from last season, including two starters.
FINDING THE BOTTOM OF THE NET
Octavia Crump led the Illinois State women's basketball team in its 2015-16 season opener. The senior forward was nearly perfect in every shooting category in the 70-52 loss at Bowling Green Friday (Nov. 13). Crump netted 19 points, with 14 of those points coming in the second half. She drained 6-of-7 from both the field and the free throw line to go along with a 3-pointer, the first of her career. Crump was just three points shy of tying a career high, and led all scorers in the game. Crump also recorded five rebounds, including two offensive boards, to go along with one assist and two steals in 23 minutes of play.
TWO DIFFERENT HALVES
Illinois State struggled to get its offense going in the first half of Friday's game against Bowling Green (Nov. 13), as it netted seven points in each of the first two quarters. The Redbirds trailed 29-14 at the half, after the Falcons outscored ISU 21-7 in the second quarter, thanks to a 21-0 run that lasted nearly nine minutes. Illinois State struggled finding the bottom of the net and committed nine turnovers, resulting in 11 points for Bowling Green. ISU came out of the locker room with a new intensity in the second half, as it outscored BGSU, 24-21, in the third quarter. The Redbirds couldn't overcome the first half deficit, but committed fewer turnovers in the second half, while finding its offensive attack. In the second half, ISU scored 38 points compared to 14 in the opening half.
BEYOND THE ARC
The Redbirds shot 33 percent from the field in their season opener at Bowling Green, but struggled to connect from three-point range. The Redbirds were 2-of-17 in the contest, connecting on 12 percent of their long-range attempts. ISU was 1-of-12 in the opening half, including one by Octavia Crump, which marked the first 3-pointer of her career.
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