NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State women's basketball team wraps up its final homestand this weekend as Drake makes the trip to Redbird Arena on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 19-20. Tip-off is slated for 4 p.m. CT on both days with Friday's game airing on ESPN+ and Saturday's streaming on ESPN3.
GAME INFORMATION
Illinois State (10-6, 7-6 MVC) vs. Drake (12-8, 10-3 MVC)
When: Friday, Feb. 19/Saturday, Feb. 20
Tip-Off: 4 p.m. CT
Location: Normal, Ill.
Facility: Redbird Arena
Watch: ESPN+/ESPN3
Radio: WJBC AM 1230
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
LAST TIME OUT – BATTLING THE LADY BEARS
Illinois State dropped a pair of home games versus No. 23/25 Missouri State last weekend, falling at Redbird Arena on Friday, 69-52, before losing in a heartbreaker on Saturday, 73-72.
Redshirt sophomore Mary Crompton had a team-high 16 points on Friday, connecting on 4-of-7 triples for her fourth 4+ trey game of the season and 10th of her career.
Junior Terrion Moore led ISU with a career-high 22 points on Saturday while senior Juliunn Redmond scored 19 points, grabbing nine boards.
The Redbirds led for almost 34 minutes in Saturday's game that featured six lead changes, five of which occurred in the fourth quarter. ISU was also 29-of-54 (53.7%) from the floor, its second-best shooting percentage of the season.
MSU's Brice Calip scored the game-winning basket with 1.4 seconds remaining, quieting the Redbirds' chance at an upset.
PLAY4KAY
Friday's game versus Drake will serve as ISU's 11th annual Play4Kay game. The Redbirds have raised almost $200,000 for the Kay Yow Cancer Fund in the previous 10 years.
Last year, Illinois State set a fundraising record, raising over $27,000 for the cause. They were recognized as a Play4Kay divisional winner for the fifth year in a row.
The Redbirds have a personal connection to the Play4Kay cause, as head coach Kristen Gillespie played and coached under Coach Yow at NC State, helping them to a 1998 Final Four appearance as the starting point guard her junior year.
If you are interested in supporting ISU's Play4Kay game and making a donation to the Kay Yow Cancer Fund, click here.
SENIOR DAY
ISU's two seniors, Juliunn Redmond and Paige Saylor will be recognized before Saturday's game as part of the Senior Day celebrations. The pregame recognition will be streamed live on the team's Facebook page.
MID-MAJOR TOP 25
Illinois State is receiving votes for the first time this season in the latest update of College Insider's Mid-Major Top 25. The poll, which is in its 11th year of existence, is made up of teams outside the Power Five conferences.
In total, five MVC teams are receiving recognition in the poll. Missouri State is ranked third with Drake coming in at No. 23. Bradley and UNI are also receiving votes along with the 'Birds.
DRAKE – SERIES HISTORY
Drake leads the all-time series with Illinois State, 48-35, while the Redbirds hold a narrow 21-20 advantage when playing in Normal. The Bulldogs are currently on a 15-game winning streak over ISU, tied for the longest active streak vs. an MVC opponent (Drake over Loyola also at 15).
SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS
The Bulldogs enter Friday's game on a five-game winning streak, now 12-8 overall and 10-3 in the MVC.
Redshirt sophomore Grace Berg leads the squad in scoring, averaging 16.4 points per game. Redshirt junior Kierra Collier and senior Maddie Monohan also average double figures, adding 12.6 and 12.2 points per game, respectively.
Collier averages a team-high 4.4 assists per game and graduate student Monica Burich leads the team in rebounding, pulling down 6.0 boards per game.
Head coach Jennie Baranczyk is in her ninth season at the helm of the Bulldog program, owning a 186-92 (.669) record.
LAST MEETING
The Redbirds battled to the very end, knotting the score with only 1:11 left, but ultimately fell to Drake, 87-82, in Des Moines on Feb. 22, 2020.
Lexi Wallen had a team-high 23 points, grabbing two rebounds and dishing out two assists. Redshirt freshman Mary Crompton tied her career-high of six three-pointers, totaling 18 points on the day while shooting 50 percent (6-of-12) from deep.
Also finishing in double figures was Juliunn Redmond (12 points, seven assists, four steals, three rebounds) and TeTe Maggett (11 points, nine rebounds).
For all the latest on Illinois State women's basketball, stay tuned at GoRedbirds.com and follow the team at @RedbirdWBB (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram).
GoRedbirds.com and the Illinois State Redbirds App: Your sources for Illinois State tickets, Weisbecker Scholarship Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.
