NORMAL, Ill. - The Illinois State women's basketball team welcomes Drake, Sunday, at 2:05 p.m., for the fifth-annual Play4Kay game. Admission to the game is $1 and there will be a cancer survivor recognition at halftime. T-shirts and luminaries will also be for sale, while treadmill walkers, joggers and runners, along with sprint triathletes will be courtside throughout the game.
ISU made a furious comeback, but ultimately came up short in a 59-52 loss to Northern Iowa Friday. The Redbirds overcame a 14-point deficit late in the second half, but a 9-0 run over the final two minutes of the game by the Panthers proved to be the difference in the contest.
Octavia Crump led the Redbirds with 22 points, tying a career high, while bringing down seven rebounds and collecting two blocks. Mary Sims was the next highest scorer for ISU with nine points, three rebounds, three assists and three steals, while Lindsay Smith pulled down a career-high nine rebounds in the loss. ISU shot 31 percent from the field and 33 percent from beyond the arc, while UNI found the bottom of the net on 42 percent of its shot attempts.
ILLINOIS STATE-DRAKE SERIES
Illinois State and Drake are tied in the all-time series with a 35-35 record. The series began in 1981 and the two teams have met at least twice annually since 1984. ISU posted a 14-10 record against Drake through 1994. From 1995-2004, the Bulldogs went 18-3 against ISU, including a 14-game winning streak. ISU is 16-6 against Drake since 2005, winning six-straight matchups before falling to Drake on Feb. 17, 2011, in Des Moines, Iowa. ISU leads the series 21-12 in games played in Normal, Illinois.
FLASHBACK: DRAKE 86, ILLINOIS STATE 51 (Jan. 9)
ISU couldn't slow down a hot-shooting Drake team that shot 57 percent from the field and fell, 86-51, 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 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 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.
ANOTHER HOMESTAND
Illinois State continues its homestand this weekend, as it plays the final game in a four-game homestand. It is the second time this season that the Redbirds have had more than three-straight home contests. From Dec. 7 to Jan. 4, ISU had six-straight home games. With four-straight home games over two weeks, the Redbirds hope to return to their winning ways.
COMEBACK FALLS SHORT
Illinois State made a furious comeback, but ultimately came up short in a 59-52 loss to Northern Iowa Friday. The Redbirds overcame a 14-point deficit late in the second half, but a 9-0 run over the final two minutes of the game by the Panthers proved to be the difference in the contest. UNI outscored ISU 14-7 early in the second half, as the Panthers took a 14-point lead at the 10:33 mark. The strong offensive performance was followed by scoring droughts by both teams, as they were a combined 4-of-17 from the field. Octavia Crump led the Redbirds' late offensive attack, as ISU used an 18-2 run to take a lead, 50-48, with 2:16 left in the game. The run lasted nearly eight minutes, while 13 points came from Crump during the run, including 11-straight. UNI used a three and six-straight free throws to regain the lead and secure the win, 59-52, thanks to the 9-0 run to end the game.
CALLING CRUMP
Junior forward Octavia Crump tied a career-high 22 points for the second time in three games. Crump's most recent feat came against Northern Iowa (Feb. 6), when Crump netted 22 points off of nine made field goals and four free throws in 32 minutes. Crump sank 14 points in the second half, shooting 50 percent from the field after the break. ISU was trailing UNI by 14 points in the second half, but a late run by the Redbirds gave Illinois State the lead at one point. The run was led by Crump, who had 13 points during the run, including 11-straight. Crump also had seven rebounds, two blocks, a steal and an assist in the seven-point loss, 59-52.
FEELING 22
In the Redbirds' last three games, ISU's leading scorer has netted 22 points. Against Bradley, (Jan. 30) Octavia Crump scored a career-high 22 points. Two days later, Mary Sims led the offensive attack for ISU with a career-high 22 points in its first win of the season coming against Loyola (Feb. 1). Then, a week later, Crump tied her career-high 22 points against Northern Iowa (Feb. 6). Prior to the three-straight 20-plus scoring efforts, Redbird scoring leaders had only netted 20-plus performances three times during the season.
HANDLING THE BALL
Against UNI (Feb. 6), ISU committed 10 turnovers. The 10 turnovers are the second fewest by ISU this season. The fewest miscues this season came against Wisconsin (Nov. 16), when ISU tallied eight. Against UNI, ISU forced more turnovers for the fourth time this season.
SIMS EARNS WEEKLY HONOR
Junior transfer Mary Sims was named the Missouri Valley Conference Newcomer of the Week, as announced by the league office Monday. It is the first weekly honor for the Redbirds this season. Over the weekend, Sims led the Redbirds in points per game (17.5) and rebounds per game (7.0). Through the first half of the Valley season, Sims is averaging 7.1 points per game and 4.0 rebounds per game, which is the third best in both categories. Sims had a career night against Bradley, Friday, netting 13 points. Her career high in points didn't last long, as Sims netted 22 points two days later against Loyola. Sims was 7-of-12 from the field in the game, but her unstoppable performance came in the first half, when she was nearly perfect in all shooting categories. In the first half, Sims was 7-of-8 from the field and a perfect 1-of-1 from three-point range and the free throw line for 16 first-half points. Sims ended the game with a perfect 7-of-7 showing from the free throw line, and pulled down a career-high eight rebounds.
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