COLUMBIA, Mo. – For the third consecutive season, Illinois State women's basketball will make a postseason appearance as the Redbirds are set to make their 14th overall appearance in the WNIT Thursday.
Illinois State goes head-to-head with the SEC's Missouri Tigers on Thursday, as tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m. from inside Mizzou Arena. The game will be broadcasted on SECN+ while Greg Halbleib provides the radio call on WJBC AM 1230 or the Varsity Network for Redbird fans.
GAME INFORMATION
at Missouri (Game Notes)
When:Â Thursday, March 16
Tip-off:Â 7:00 p.m. CT
Location:Â Columbia, Missouri
Facility:Â Mizzou Arena
Watch:Â SECN+
Live Stats:Â Sidearm Stats
Listen:Â WJBC AM 1230
LAST TIME OUT
Despite 13 points from both Paige Robinson and DeAnna Wilson, Illinois State saw their MVC Hoops in the Heartland run come to an end in the semifinals, falling to Drake 74-54 Saturday.
Robinson would play 34 minutes on Saturday, as she went 3-of-14 from the field but would knock down all six of her free throw attempts. As for Wilson, the senior played 28 minutes and would be one rebound short of her eighth double double this season (13 points, 9 rebounds). Finally, junior Kate Bullman was the only other Redbird in double figures as she chipped in 10 points over 32 minutes of action.
The Bulldogs saw three athletes go for double figures, led by Maggie Bair's 19 points, including 2-of-5 from three-point range. Along with Bair, Grace Berg went for 16 points and Courtney Becker chipped in 13 points.
SCOUTING MISSOURI
Missouri started their season off with wins in 10 of their 12 non-conference games this season, as the Tigers would eventually end up with victories in 13 of their first 15 games this season. The Tigers are no stranger to Valley foes as Missouri State and Bradley kicked off the 2022-23 season for the program, with Missouri taking the win in both matchups.
This season, Hayley Frank leads the charge for Missouri with an average of 15.3 points per game. The leading rebounder for Missouri this season is Sara-Rose Smith, who averages 6.5 rebounds a contest.
The head coach of the Missouri Tigers, in her 13th season, is former Redbird coach Robin Pingeton. Since stepping foot on Mizzou's campus in 2010, head coach Robin Pingeton has led the Mizzou Women's Basketball program to heights not reached in decades. Pingeton is in her 13th season at Mizzou with four NCAA Tournament berths and nine overall postseason appearances to her resume while in Columbia.
She is one of 34 active Division-I head coaches with 500+ career wins, and just 1 of 16 at the helm of a Power Five program to reach the monumental milestone. Her 524 career victories currently rank second among active SEC head coaches. Pingeton has restored a proud Mizzou Women's Basketball tradition and has recorded a 207-167 (.553) record with her teams reaching the 20-win total in four seasons.
In her first 12 seasons, she has guided the Tigers to 21 wins over top-25 teams and six over teams ranked in the top 10. Among program history, Pingeton currently ranks second in winning percentage (.553) and victories (207), trailing only Mizzou Hall of Famer Joann Rutherford (.617, 422-262) in both categories.
SERIES HISTORY WITH MISSOURI
The Redbirds and Tigers have met 15 previous times, as Missouri holds an 11-4 series advantage including winning the last four meetings.
Illinois State last defeated the Tigers in November 1996 when the 'Birds took a 82-70 win in Normal. The Redbirds are 0-6 all-time in road matchups against the Tigers.
20 WIN PLATEAU
Since the start of the 1992-93 season, only three 20-win Missouri Valley Conference teams were left out of the postseason. This season, Belmont, Drake, Illinois State, Missouri State and UNI all reached 20 wins, with all five teams reaching the NCAA or WNIT field.
NOT SO "NORMAL" CONNECTIONS
As the Redbirds head to Columbia for the WNIT, the head coach on the opposite sidelines will be none other than former Redbird HC Robin Pingeton.
In seven seasons at ISU, Pingeton went a combined 144-81, with two NCAA Tournament bids, three WNIT bids, and was named MVC Coach of the Year on two separate occasions.
"POWER"ING UP
Thursday signifies the first time an ISU women's basketball team has faced an SEC opponent in any capacity since 2013.
The last SEC-ISU meeting came in November 2013 from the Bahamas, when the Redbirds would take down Florida by a final of 68-64.
PLACING THEIR MARK IN THE VALLEY
Prior to the start of the 2023 Hoops in the Heartland Tournament, Illinois State saw a quartet of athletes honored with All-MVC recognitions, headlined by the efforts of Paige Robinson and Kristen Gillespie. Robinson was named the 2022-23 Jackie Stiles Player of the Year while Gillespie was tabbed as the 2022-23 MVC Coach of the Year.
Robinson becomes the first Jackie Stiles Player of the Year for Illinois State since former All-American Kristi Cirone was awarded the honor for the third straight time following the 2008-09 season. Robinson is the fourth overall Redbird to win this award, joining the likes of Cirone, Pam Tanner (1988-89), and Susan Wellman (1987-88).
Robinson was also honored as the 2022-23 MVC Newcomer of the Year, First Team All-MVC, and All-Newcomer Team. With her recognition of Newcomer of the Year, Robinson becomes the first Redbird athlete with this distinction since JuJu Redmond was named the Newcomer of the Year following the 2019-2020 season.
Gillespie becomes the first MVC Coach of the Year from Illinois State since Stephanie Glance was awarded the honor in 2012. Gillespie led the 'Birds to the most wins under her direction and the most MVC wins (17) for ISU in a season since 1984-85 under Jill Hutchinson & Melinda Fischer (17-1).
The Redbirds were also awarded Second Team All-MVC honors for DeAnna Wilson, Third Team All-MVC honors for Mary Crompton, and an All-Defensive Team nod for Kate Bullman.
ALL-AMERICAN MARY
For the first time in program history, Illinois State women's basketball has a First Team Academic All-American and her name is Mary Crompton. Crompton becomes the first ever Redbird in program history to be named Academic All-America First Team, only one season after collecting Academic All-America Third Team honors.
Only Crompton and Beth Landes Ehresman (1980) have been honored with Academic All-America honors in program history.
PART OF NCAA HISTORY
With 3:53 remaining in the first quarter against UIC on Feb. 23, Paige Robinson knocked down her second jumper of the game, giving her four points. With her second basket, Robinson officially put her name in the top 100 scorers in NCAA history across all divisions.
The Bethany native was not done though, as she would continue her historic night as the game went on. As she stepped to the free-throw line in the third quarter, Robinson knocked down one of two, giving her 2,500 points in her collegiate career.
The Bethany native now sits fifth among active players across all divisions in scoring with 2,596 career points.
NOT DONE YET
With an 11-point victory over UIC on Feb. 23, Illinois State secured their first 20-win season under the direction of Kristen Gillespie, and first as a program since 2012-13.
17 of ISU's 24 wins came in MVC regular season play for ISU, which is the most conference wins for a Redbirds program since the team went 17-1 during the 1984-95 season.
IOWA CITY'S OWN
As of March 15, graduate guard Mary Crompton sees herself rank among the top-25 in active career leaders for three-pointers made and three-point field goal percentage.
Crompton is 15th among active players with 298 three-pointers made while having the 22nd-best three-point percentage with a mark of 39.9-percent.
CLIMBING IN THE MVC RANKS
Mary Crompton continues her move up the Valley career three-point field goal list. The graduate student sits solely in 2nd on the Valley's all-time list with 298 makes and is only 16 threes away from tying for 1st all-time in Valley history.
MAKING THEMSELVES KNOWN
As the MVC season rolls on for Illinois State, multiple Redbirds continue making themselves seen within the top-50 of NCAA DI for five individual categories (as of 3/15//23).
Paige Robinson is currently 30th in points per game (18.7); Mary Crompton sits 14th for 3-point field goal percentage (42.4%) and tied for 33rd for 3pt field goals per game (2.6); Finally, Kate Bullman is tied for 42nd nationally in blocks with 50 total blocks this season.
PLAYING BOTH SIDES OF THE BALL
Thanks to their efforts thus far, ISU currently ranks top-50 in two team categories (as of 3/15/23) across Division I WBB.
The Redbirds are 13th in three-point percentage with a mark of 37.0% as a team while being tied for 29th on the defensive side with an average of 4.5 blocks per game.
BUILDING A WINNING CULTURE
Head coach Kristen Gillespie achieved her 200th career win with a 67-63 road win over Missouri State on Jan. 5. The Redbird head ball coach soon followed that up as she collected win no. 100 at Illinois State on Jan. 22, as part of a 32-point win over Evansville for the 'Birds.
Gillespie becomes the first ISU head coach to eclipse 100 career wins as a Redbird since current Missouri head coach Robin Pingeton, who finished her ISU career with a mark of 144-81 over seven seasons.
GONE BUT NEVER FORGOTTEN
On August 20, 2022, Illinois State women's basketball lost one of their own as former standout Simone Goods lost a courageous battle with cancer. As her time as a Redbird, both on and off the court, is forever remembered, Goods remains ranked in the top-25 in ISU women's basketball history for the following: field goals made in a season (190), rebounds in a season (238), career free-throws (227), career blocks (51) and blocks in a season (33). Goods also remains in the top-10 for the following categories: career rebounds per game (6.9), career blocks per game (0.9), and career double-doubles (12).
As the program continues to honor Simone, the Redbirds dedicated the 2022-23 season to her life and legacy at ISU. Every game this season, ISU players have worn an "SG" patch on their jerseys as the ISU coaching staff wears a similar patch on their respective game day attire.
NEW NAME, SAME ARENA
Illinois State University and CEFCU have come to terms on a naming rights and sponsorship agreement valued at approximately $3.1 million over 10 years. The agreement, which will support the funding for ongoing and ever-evolving costs associated with the student-athlete experience, was initiated by LEARFIELD's Redbird Sports Properties, the University's athletics multimedia rightsholder. The former Redbird Arena will be known as CEFCU Arena – Home of the Redbirds, with the University's Board of Trustees approving the arena name change at its October 14 meeting. The CEFCU Arena naming rights and sponsorship agreement will continue to support funding of the Redbird Student-Athlete experience. Particularly in these ever-evolving times, funding is vital to maintaining and expanding upon the current NCAA, Division I student-athlete experience.
For all 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:Â Â Your sources for Illinois State tickets, Weisbecker Scholarship Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.
