NORMAL, Ill. –The Illinois State women's basketball team returns to the road Sunday, as it takes on Evansville at 2 p.m. The Redbirds are on a three-game losing streak, while the Purple Aces have dropped their last six.
Octavia Crump was a consistent offensive threat for Illinois State, as it fell to Indiana State, 74-65, Friday at the Hulman Center. Crump netted 18 points, shooting 5-of-8 from the field and went 8-of-10 from the free throw line.
Katy Winge was the only other Redbird in double figures, pouring in 17 points thanks to three shots from three-point range, as Illinois State sank a season-best 48 percent from the field. Lindsay Smith scored eight points, as Mary Sims added seven. Sims led Illinois State with six rebounds, while the Redbirds pulled down 27, which was seven fewer than the Sycamores' 34. Illinois State struggled with turnovers again, committing 23.
ILLINOIS STATE-EVANSVILLE SERIES
Illinois State leads the all-time series with Evansville, 27-15. The series began when Evansville joined the Valley in 1995, with ISU winning the first eight meetings. Illinois State holds a slight 19-14 advantage since then, including 14 wins in the last 19 games. ISU has a convincing 16-4 record over the Purple Aces when playing in Evansville, Indiana.
Flashback: EVANSVILLE 62, ILLINOIS STATE 50 (Jan. 16)
Illinois State fell to Evansville, 62-50, inside Redbird Arena despite a season-best shooting performance from three-point range. Katy Winge knocked in three 3-pointers en route to her 20-point performance against the Purple Aces (9-7, 4-1 MVC). Winge also led the team in assists, dishing out five. Taylor Stewart was the only other Redbird in double digits, netting 10 points on 2-of-3 shooting from beyond the arc. The Redbirds shot 31 percent from the floor and 40 percent from three-point territory. ISU's eight treys were the most in a game this season. Evansville had the slight advantage on the boards, pulling down 38, just two more than the Redbirds' 36.
CRUMP'S NEW RHYTHM
Octavia Crump has led the Redbirds in scoring in four of the last five games, as she has netted double-digit scoring performances in the last five games, including two career-high performances. Over the last five games, Crump is averaging 17.6 points per game, while shooting 41 percent from the field and 84 percent from the free throw line. From Jan 9 through Jan. 25, Crump struggled from the field, averaging 4.6 points per game through five games.
MAKING IT RAIN
Illinois State found its offensive momentum against Indiana State (Feb. 13), as the Redbirds set season-high bests in both field goal percentage and three-point field goal percentage. In the first half, ISU shot 52 percent from the field, connecting on 13-of-25. During the second half, the Redbirds sank 43 percent of their field goals. Illinois State shot 48 percent (22-of-46) for the game, marking a season best. From three-point range, the Redbirds shot 55 percent for another season-best performance. Lindsay Smith found the bottom of the net on 2-of-3 (67 percent) shooting from beyond the arc, while Katy Winge was 3-of-5 (60 percent) from three-point range. ISU looks to keep the offensive attack heading into Sunday's game at Evansville.
FREE THROWS ARE THE DIFFERENCE
At Indiana State (Feb. 13), the Sycamores defeated the Redbirds by nine points, 74-65. Illinois State shot better from the field, while Indiana State controlled the boards and maximized off of Redbird turnovers, but the true difference of the game came at the free throw line. The Sycamores made it to the charity stripe 16 more times than the Redbirds, while sinking 10 more free throws in their nine-point win. In the first half, Illinois State was 100 percent from the free throw line, while Indiana State made 91 percent of its free throw attempts. The only difference was the Redbirds were 3-of-3, and the Sycamores sank 10-of-11. Indiana State continued to make its way to the free throw line in the second half, as it drained 15-of-25 free shots. In the game, the Redbirds were 15-of-20 from the free throw line, but Indiana State had more chances, going 25-of-36.
ALMOST A COMPLETE GAME
The Redbirds had season-best performances in field goal percentage and three-point field goal percentage against Indiana State (Feb. 13), but despite the strong offensive performance, Illinois State still wasn't able to put a complete game together. The Redbirds struggled again with turnovers, as they committed 23 miscues. Illinois State controlled its turnovers against Northern Iowa (Feb.6) and Drake (Feb. 8), but the 23 mistakes against Indiana State were the sixth-most turnovers made by ISU this season. Not only did the Redbirds struggle with turnovers, but they also grabbed the fewest rebounds in a game this season with 27, including six offensive boards and 21 defensive rebounds.
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