Redbirds Travel to Face the Milwaukee Panthers

NORMAL, Ill. - The Illinois State Redbirds take to the road after three-game home stand to face the Milwaukee Panthers.

GAME INFORMATION
Illinois State Redbirds (3-3) at Milwaukee (5-2) 
When: Thursday, Dec. 7, 2017
Tip-Off: 7 p.m.
Location: Klotsche Center - Milwaukee, Wis.

THE SERIES

• Illinois State leads the series 4-3 dating back to as early as 2000.

• The teams most recently met last season at Redbird Arena and the Panthers pulled away with a 68-60 win.  

• This is the first time Coach Gillespie and Coach Rechlicz will face each other.

REDBIRD BITS

• The Redbirds are currently ranked ninth in the nation and first in the Missouri Valley Conference in scoring defense, after only allowing an average of 52.2 points per game. They also sit fifth nationally in field-goal percentage defense (31.4%). Only North Texas, Clemson, Green Bay and Illinois State appear in the Top 10 nationally in both categories.

• Within the first five games of the season under Kristen Gillespie's direction, three returning Redbirds have secured a new career-high in points.

Hannah Green – 20 points (15)

Viria Livingston – 17 points (15)

Megan Talbot – 17 points (14)

• Green has proven to be a defensive threat this season, blocking 3.17 shots per game. After Sunday's performance, Green is ranked eighth in the nation and leads the MVC. She has a season high of five blocks in a game and a career high of eight blocks in a game. Last season, Green claimed a spot in the ISU record books, as she is first all-time in blocked shots per game (2.9) and second all-time for blocked shots in a season (75).

 SCOUTING THE PANTHERS

• The Panthers were tabbed fourth in the Horizon League preseason poll right after Oakland and enter the on a five-game win streak. The team's only losses were to Drake and Houston.

• Steph Kostowicz leads her team, averaging 17.3 points per game. She was named Preseason First-Team All-Horizon League and to the 2017 WBI All-Tournament Team. Kostowicz has a game high of 26 points this season and has earned Horizon League Player of the Week honors.

• Bailey Farley and the Panthers defeated Northwestern on Sunday, 66-57. Farley added a new career high of 24 points, shooting 72 percent from the field and was perfect at the line going 5-for-5.  

• Jenny Lindner received Horizon League Player of the Week honors after her career-best performance against Western Illinois. Lindner helped her team overcome the Leathernecks with a career-high of 34 points along with 11 rebounds.

MILESTONE WATCH

• Katrina Beck currently has 473 career points and could potentially hit 500 this week.

• Hannah Green has a career total of 94 blocks. If she hits 100, she will be third all-time in theblocked shots list in ISU history.

NEXT UP

The Redbirds return home Sunday to face Eastern Michigan at 2 p.m. The Eagles begin an Illinois road trip Friday to take on the UIC Flames and head south to Redbird Arena. The Eagles are 2-5 after dropping in their last five games.