ST. LOUIS – After closing out the non-conference season of the 2015-16 schedule with two home games, the Illinois State women's basketball team will increase that homestand to four games, as the Redbirds open the Missouri Valley Conference schedule at home against Missouri State (Jan. 1). ISU will open the Valley season at home in Redbird Arena for the eighth-consecutive year.
"It is exciting to see the Missouri Valley Conference schedule released," head coach Barb Smith said. "I believe we are a stronger league than we were last year. We have great coaches and great players in this conference, and I feel like every team has improved. We begin conference play at home against two tough teams in Missouri State and Wichita State. That will be a great way to begin the conference season."
After playing 11 non-conference games, including five home contests and one exhibition game, ISU will open the 18-game Valley schedule with a pair of games at home against the Bears and Wichita State (Jan. 3). The Redbirds will then hit the road for three games against Indiana State (Jan. 10), Northern Iowa (Jan. 15) and Drake (Jan. 17). After the three-game road swing, Illinois State returns to Redbird Arena to welcome Bradley (Jan. 22) and Loyola (Jan. 24), before heading to Evansville (Jan. 29) and Southern Illinois (Jan. 31), closing out the first half of the Valley schedule.
Then, ISU will be back in Normal, Illinois, to begin the second half of the conference season with Indiana State (Feb. 7), Drake (Feb. 12), and Northern Iowa (Feb. 14). The Redbirds return to the road for four of their final six Valley games, as they head to Loyola (Feb. 19) and Bradley (Feb. 21), before returning to Redbird Arena to close out the regular-season home schedule against Southern Illinois (Feb. 25) and Evansville (Feb. 28). Illinois State will wrap up the conference slate with a pair of road games at Wichita State (March 3) and Missouri State (March 5).
The 2016 Missouri Valley Conference Tournament will be held in Moline, Illinois, March 10-13, at the iWireless Center. It is the first season the tournament will be held in the Quad Cities.
"It is also very exciting to see the conference tournament moving to the Quad Cities," Smith said. "After visiting the Quad Cities community several times in recent months, I truly feel like we will have the most exciting tournament atmosphere the MVC has had in a long time."
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