NORMAL, Ill. - The Illinois State Redbirds return home on Sunday to take on the Eastern Michigan Eagles.
GAME INFORMATION
Illinois State Redbirds (3-4) vs Eastern Michigan (2-6)
When: Sunday, Dec. 9, 2017
Tip-Off: 2 p.m.
Location: Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena
THE SERIES
• Illinois State leads the series 2-0 dating back to as early as 2006.
• The teams most recently met in 2007 at Redbird Arena and Illinois State snuck away with a 79-61 victory.
• This is the first time Coach Gillespie and Coach Castro will face each other.
REDBIRD BITS
• The Redbirds took Milwaukee to overtime and fell 61-59. The last time the Redbirds played past regulation was in the 2015-16 season. Illinois State fell to Evansville 61-59 in the MVC tournament.
• Illinois State put up 20 points in the second quarter against the Milwaukee Panthers. This is the most points the team has netted in a quarter this season.
• Within the first five games 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).
• Paige Saylor leads the Missouri Valley Conference, averaging 2.6 steals per game.
• The Redbirds have captured all three wins in Redbird Arena on Doug Collins Court and are winless on the road.
SCOUTING THE EAGLES
• The Eagles are winless on the road after playing six-straight away games. The team captured their two wins in the Convocation Center.
•The Eagles are under the direction of second-year Head Coach Fred Castro. Castro comes to Eastern Michigan after a three year stint in Seattle as an assistant coach with the Huskies, in which Washington posted a 69-35 record and a trip to the 2016 NCAA Tournament Final Four.
•The team was tabbed to finish sixth out of six in the West Division of the Mid-American Conference.
• Danielle Minott leads the Eagles, averaging 12.7 points per game and 6.3 rebounds per game. Minott posted a season high of 19 points, and 15 of those were shot from behind the arc.
• The Eagles recently tied a season-high, netting seven 3-pointers in their loss to Minnesota.
SHARING THE GLORY
• Three Redbirds put up double digits in the overtime loss to Milwaukee. This is the second time this season that this has happened. Livingston, Talbot and Green put up double points in the win over SIUE.
MILESTONE WATCH
• Katrina Beck currently has 488 career points after netting 15 in the overtime loss to Milwaukee on Thursday.
• Hannah Green has a career total of 95 blocks. If she hits 100, she will be third all-time in the blocked shots list in ISU history.
NEXT UP
The Redbirds remain home to face Cleveland State on Sunday, Dec. 17. The Vikings defeated Eastern Michigan 77-65 in November and currently sit at 6-2.
