NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State women's basketball team will head west for a Friday night matchup against MVC rival, Bradley.
GAME INFORMATION VS. BRADLEY
Illinois State Redbirds (15-9, 8-5) vs. Bradley Braves (17-7, 7-6)
When: Friday, Feb. 22
Tip-Off: 7 p.m. CT
Watch: ESPN 3
Listen: 1230 AM WJBC
THE SERIES VS. BRADLEY
• The Redbirds are 48-26 overall when facing the Braves, 25-11 at home, 20-15 at Bradley and 3-0 at a neutral site.
• The teams have split the regular-season series each of the last three years. Bradley took the first game this year, capturing a 79-68 win at ISU.
REDBIRD BITS
• The Redbirds are on five-game win streak, after capturing their first MVC road sweep in five years last weekend. ISU downed Missouri State, who was holding the top spot in the league and secured a narrow win over Southern Illinois on Sunday.
• Simone Goods and TeTe Maggett swept the MVC weekly honors, guiding ISU to its fifth-straight win, downing Missouri State and Southern Illinois this past weekend. This is the third time this season that ISU has swept the weekly honors, which is the most in the league, and it is the second time this duo has taken over. Maggett and Goods account for 54 percent of ISU's scoring this season and both sit top five in the Valley for their scoring efforts. Goods averages 17.6 points and Maggett 16.2, landing third and fourth, respectively.Â
• The Redbirds have averaged 51.8 percent from the floor in the last five games, setting a season-best of 59 percent against Valparaiso. ISU has also remained a defensive threat, holding the past five opponents to 39.5 percent from the field. The squad continues to lead the Valley and sit top 100 in the nation in scoring defense and field-goal percentage defense, holding foes to 60.9 points per game and 38.3 percent from the floor.
SCOUTING THE BRAVES
• The Braves sit one game behind ISU in the league standings, with a 7-6 conference record at fifth place.
• The team has averaged 6.3 triples per game, which would rank as the third-best in school history. Gabi Haack leads the MVC in 3-pointers per game with 2.6 and leads her team with 15.7 points per game. Â
• Bradley ranks 30th nationally in rebounding, with junior Chelsea Brackmann leading the way. Brackmann sits 25th in the country and first in the league, averaging 10.9 boards a game. The forward set a new career high of 24 boards in game against Northern Iowa.
NEXT UP
Illinois State hosts its final two home games of the season in Redbird Arena on Thursday and Sunday next week, as they prepare to face Loyola and Valparaiso.
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