Illinois State Heads South to Battle Belmont Sunday – Illinois State Athletics

Women’s Basketball 1/14/2023 10:23:00 AM Brian White
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – After a Thursday road win at Bradley, Illinois State women’s basketball (10-5, 4-1 MVC) will look to keep pace at the top of the MVC standings when the squad heads to Nashville Sunday for a 2:00 p.m. meeting with Belmont (7-9, 3-2 MVC) at the Curb Event Center.
Sunday will be broadcasted on the MVC TV Network, which consists of Bally Sports Indiana, Bally Sports Kansas City, Bally Sports South, Bally Sports Southeast, and NBC Sports Chicago. Out of market viewers can see the game on ESPN+. Greg Halbleib provides the radio call for ISU fans, which can be found on the Varsity Network or WJBC 102.1 FM & 1230 AM.
GAME INFORMATION
at Belmont (Game Notes)
When: Sunday, Jan. 15
Tip-off: 2 p.m. CT
Location: Nashville, Tenn.
Facility: Curb Event Center
Watch: MVC TV Network / ESPN+
Live Stats: StatBroadcast
Listen: WJBC 1230 AM /102.1 FM
LAST TIME OUT
In the 83^rd installment of the I-74 rivalry, it would be Illinois State women’s basketball (10-5, 4-1 MVC) defeating the Bradley Braves (3-13, 0-5 MVC) by a final of 60-50 from the Renaissance Coliseum Thursday night (full recap).
The 10-point win is the fifth straight victory for ISU in the I-74 rivalry and the largest margin of victory since Feb. 25, 2021, when ISU handed Bradley a 79-59 defeat in Peoria. The Redbirds have not dropped a result to their rival since Feb. 7, 2020, in Normal.
The teams traded three pointers to begin the game, with Paige Robinson making the first basket for ISU and Ruba Abo Hashesh for Bradley. ISU’s next basket once again came from Robinson as she sank another three. Daija Powell made her presence felt down low, picking up a quick block in the opening minutes of the game. Come first media timeout, the Braves were down 3-8 but had less turnovers and more blocks than the Redbirds.
Enter DeAnna Wilson. The Saint Louis native would step up in the remainder of the first half, finishing the first 20 minutes with 12 points off 6-9 shooting to go along with six rebounds. She would see Robinson add six points of her own in the first 20 minutes, as Robinson held five rebounds at the break.
Bradley was led by the efforts of Caroline Waite who finished the night with a game-high 19 points. Waite was joined in double figures for the home team by Isis Fitch who gathered 10 points on the night.  
SCOUTING THE BRUINS
Belmont has seen a 3-2 MVC record thus far in their first year as part of the Valley. The Bruins have picked up wins over Valparaiso, UIC, and UNI while losing to Drake and Murray State so far.
The Bruins are 4-2 at home (Curb Event Center) this season, including wins over 2022 NCAA Tournament team, Troy, as well as wins in their first two Missouri Valley contests.
MVC Preseason Player of the Year, Destinee Wells, leads the team with an average of 15.8 points per game while grabbing 3.4 rebounds a contest and dishing out an impressive 4.2 assists per contest in 2022-23.
Leading the way for Belmont, in his sixth season with the team, is Bart Brooks. In his first five seasons with the Bruins, Brooks posted a remarkable record of 130-43 (.751), guiding the Bruins to four Ohio Valley Conference regular season championships, four OVC Championship titles, and four NCAA Tournament appearances.
The third-fastest head coach to 100 career victories in NCAA Division I women’s basketball history, Brooks owns an astounding record of 92-10 (.902) against conference opponents, including league tournament games. He ranks among the top 10 of active Division I head coaches in terms of winning percentage.
Brooks went 80-9 (.899) in conference play through his first five seasons. He has led Belmont to an impressive 12-1 record in league tournament games, including an unblemished 4-0 mark in championship matchups, and the Bruins are an exceptional 58-10 (.853) inside the Curb Event Center with Brooks in charge.
Under his watch, Belmont is one of just 12 programs in the nation and one of only three non-power conference teams to win 20 or more games for seven straight seasons. Brooks has led the Bruins to a regular season or conference tournament championship in each of his first five seasons and Belmont has either been ranked or received votes in at least one of the two major national polls for seven consecutive years. The Bruins have earned a national postseason bid nine of the last 10 seasons and appeared in the last six NCAA Tournaments.
SERIES HISTORY WITH BELMONT
Sunday is the first-ever meeting between Belmont and Illinois State. The meeting also stands as the lone regular season meeting for the two sides as part of the newly renovated 12-team, 20-game MVC schedule.
SHOWING OUT FOR THE VALLEY
As Sunday sees the top two teams in the MVC preseason poll do battle, the Missouri Valley has chosen Illinois State at Belmont to be showcased on the MVC TV Network (full networks listed above).
The matchup from the Curb Event Center will be broadcast on regional television, including Bally Sports and select NBC Sports Chicago Plus markets. For out-of-market viewers, Sunday will be broadcast on ESPN+ as well. 
OFF TO A CONSISTENT START
Illinois State is one of two NCAA Division I WBB programs to have the same starting five in every game in 2022-23 (Columbia).
CALM, COOL, COLLECTED
So far this season (15 games), redshirt junior Maya Wong has cemented herself as one of the nation’s best from the free-throw line.
As of 1/14/23, the Normal native is third nationally for free throw percentage.
NAME
FT-FTA
PCT
Brynna Maxwell, Gonzaga
51-52
98.1
Erin Houpt, Mercer
59-61
96.7
Maya Wong, ISU
43-45
95.6
Mya Hansen, Boise St.
40-42
95.2
Ivy Wolf, Miami (OH)
51-54
94.4
VALLEY RACE
At the end of the first quarter of the Valley Women’s Basketball regular season race, there is a three-way tie for first at 4-1 (Illinois State, Missouri State, UNI). Meanwhile, Belmont, Drake, Murray State, and Southern Illinois all sit one game behind the leaders at 3-2 entering the weekend. 
KEEPING IT NEUTRAL
After 30 conference games, the home and visiting teams have each won 15 league games apiece. Newcomers Belmont and Murray State are the only two MVC teams without a home conference loss just 25 percent of the way through the season. Both the Bruins and Racers are at home Sunday.
REBOUND MACHINE
As part of Illinois State’s hard-fought 59-56 win in Carbondale on January 7, junior Kate Bullman would set a new career-high in rebounds.
The Grayslake native grabbed 14 rebounds (9 defensive boards) against the Salukis to surpass her previous career high of 13, set versus Valparaiso on January 13, 2022. 
SHOOTING IS KEY
When dissecting the win-loss total for Illinois State in 2022-23, the way the Redbirds shoot has been a valid indicator for the overall result.
In their 10 wins this season, Illinois State is shooting 42.8% from the field and 38.3% from three-point range. Meanwhile, in their five losses, the shooting drops to 34.4% from the field and 29.7% from three-point range.
MILESTONES TO WATCH
Head coach Kristen Gillespie achieved her 200^th career win on January 5, with a 67-63 win on the road over Missouri State. The Redbird head coach sits with 97 wins at ISU, as she is looking to become 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.
Graduate guard Mary Crompton has now started 97 games as a Redbird. As the season rolls on, Crompton sits only three starts away from becoming the ninth Redbird WBB athlete to have 100 career starts. The last Redbird to eclipse 100 career starts is former Redbird star, and now head coach at UIC, Ashleen Bracey.
RISING IN THE RECORD BOOKS
Junior forward Kate Bullman is slowly but surely moving her way up the all-time ranks in ISU history for career blocks. As the season is now in sole MVC focus, Bullman currently sits with 92 career blocks, good for sixth all-time.
The Grayslake native now sits three blocks from tying fifth place, which is held by the newest announced WBB Hall of Famer for ISU, Cathy Boswell who finished her illustrious career with 95 blocks.
MAKING THEMSELVES KNOWN
As they have done all season, the Redbirds see a trio of athletes making their mark across the top-100 in various statistical categories, in both DI WBB and the MVC (as of 1/14/23).  
CATEGORY
VALUE
NCAA
MVC
Minutes (Paige)
35.3
46^th
1^st
PPG (Paige)
19.0
30^th
2^nd
3PT FG% (Mary)
.438
24^th
1^st
3PT/Game (Mary)
2.6
t-47^th
2^nd
Free Throw Pct (Maya)
.956
3^rd
1^st
PLAYING BOTH SIDES OF THE BALL
Thanks to their efforts thus far, ISU currently ranks top-100 in five categories (as of 1/14/23) across Division I WBB while being top five in the MVC for each category, respectively.
CATEGORY
VALUE
NCAA
MVC
3PT FG%
.361
29^th
1^st
Blocks Per Game
4.3
48^th
4^th
Turnover Margin
2.87
t-83^rd
2^nd
Free Throw Pct
.744
75^th
2^nd
3PT FG/Game
7.3
t-74^th
5^th
ROAD WARRIORS
With wins over Missouri State and Southern Illinois on Jan. 5 and 7, it marked the first time since Feb. 2019 that the Redbirds won back-to-back games in Springfield and Carbondale.
In fact, the two wins saw the Lady Bears and Salukis drop consecutive games against an MVC opponent for the first time in that span as well.
TIME AWAY FROM HOME
Since Kristen Gillespie took over the program, Illinois State has seen four straight road Missouri Valley Conference games once, which came to start the revised 2020-21 MVC season (at UNI and Indiana State).
The previous longest road stretch for the Redbirds have been three games (2017-18; 2018-19; 2019-20; 2021-22).
GAINING NATIONAL RECOGNITION
After a successful 2-0 road weekend, Illinois State comes in as the highest ranked MVC team in the latest CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major top-25. The Redbirds (#16) are joined in the rankings by Drake (#17) and UNI (#20).
Other notable schools ranked, in regard to the Redbirds, this week is 2022-23 opponent Green Bay (#12). Meanwhile, fellow MVC member Belmont is receiving votes.  
CASTING A WIDE NET (RANKING) FOR THE VALLEY
The NCAA NET Report (Jan. 9) has four Valley teams that rank in the top-100, including six of the 12 sitting in the top-125.  Drake leads the way at no. 48 with UNI (68), Belmont (93), and Illinois State (97) rounding out the schools in the top-100. Murray State (107) and Missouri State (122) rank in the top 125.
Only seven other leagues have six or more teams in the top 125 of the NET (ACC, American, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, MVC, Pac-12, and SEC).
TEAM
NET
Drake
48
UNI
68
Belmont
93
Illinois State
97
Murray State
107
Missouri State
122
UIC
186
Southern Illinois
214
Indiana State
219
Evansville
240
Valparaiso
293
Bradley
333
WELCOME TO THE 1K CLUB
With her three-pointer at 3:08 in the third quarter versus Drake (12/30/22), graduate student Mary Crompton officially joined ISU’s 1,000-point club. This made the Iowa City native the 30^th member and only the second player (Juliunn Redmond) to reach the milestone under head coach Kristen Gillespie.
As her career continues, Crompton currently sits in 29^th all-time for ISU scoring leaders. 
NAME
PTS
YEAR
25. Tami Baalke
1,105
1989-93
26. Shala Jackson
1,099
2007-11
27. Tammy Turner
1,077
1982-86
28. Valarie Trame
1,077
1994-98
29. Mary Crompton
1,036+
2018-present
30. Octavia Crump
1,000
2012-16
49 YEARS IN THE MAKING
As part of a record-breaking weekend in Vegas for the Redbirds, the Illinois State women’s basketball program would match their best program start in 49 years after taking down the Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters on Nov. 26.
With the 70-53 victory, the Redbirds would sit at 5-0 to start the 2022-23 season. This matched the best program start in 49 years, when ISU would start the 1973-74 season with the same record.
BROKEN RECORDS
As part of the program’s annual Education Day (huge shoutout to ISU Marketing’s Danny Bugg and Lauren Henderson) on Dec. 6, 2022, the Redbirds saw a new home attendance record be set as 6,363 school children, staff, admin., and longtime Redbird fans piled into CEFCU to watch ISU take on UMSL.
Prior to Dec. 6, the previous record stood at 6,075 which was set during the 2010 WNIT when California paid Normal a visit.
WELCOME TO THE HALL OF FAME
Illinois State women’s basketball legend Cathy Boswell was selected as one of five to be inducted as the 24th Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame Induction Class this past Sunday morning. The members for the Class of 2023 are Cathy Boswell (Veteran Player), Donna Lopiano (Contributor), Lisa Mattingly (Official), Carolyn Peck (Coach), and Lindsey Whalen (Player).
Boswell (1979-83) was a two-time WBCA Kodak All-American and two-time Wade Trophy finalist during her time at ISU, finishing her collegiate career with 2,005 points and 1,054 rebounds. She led the Redbirds to 90 wins, an NCAA Tournament berth in 1983, a 15th-place finish in the AIAW National Tournament in 1981 and two WNIT bids (1980 and 1982). Boswell was a member of the 1984 women’s Olympic gold medalist USA basketball team and competed internationally for 14 years, earning seven team most valuable player awards, one league MVP title, a player of the year award and five league championships.
The Class of 2023 will be inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, receiving their coveted Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame Trophy and Baron Championship Induction Ring on April 29th, 2023, in Knoxville, Tennessee.
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. Goods finished her time as a Redbird with 2019 All-MVC First Team honors as well as finishing in the program’s top-25 for 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).
This season, ISU players and staff will don an “SG” patch on their jerseys and gameday attire to honor the life and legacy of Simone Goods as ISU is dedicating the 2022-23 season in her honor.
NEW FACES ALL AROUND
Throughout the 2022-23 season, seven of Illinois State’s opponents (or possible opponents) will be under the direction of a first-year head coach. Four of the seven new faces will come during MVC play as Missouri State, Southern Illinois, Bradley, and UIC all made coaching hires during the offseason.
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.
REDBIRDS SIGN FOUR TO NLI’s
Earlier this season as part of National Signing Day, the Illinois State women’s basketball program announced the signings of four high-level talent as part of 2022 National Signing Day. The 2023 recruiting class includes Brooke Coffey (St. Charles, Mo.), Shannon Dowell (O’Fallon, Ill.), Molly Lenz (Eden Prairie, Minn.), and Savannah McGowan (Minneapolis, Minn.).
Coffey, a 6-1 guard from St. Charles Mo., has led the Incarnate Word to 68 straight wins, including multiple state titles, as the program has now captured a total of 12 MO Class 6 Championships. Finally, Coffey will join former Redbirds Kayel Newland and Cameron Call as well as current ISU athlete, DeAnna Wilson, as athletes for ISU women’s basketball under Kristen Gillespie to hail from the state of Missouri.
Dowell, a 5-10 guard from O’Fallon, Ill., comes from O’Fallon Township High where she was named First Team Southwestern All-Conference in 2021-22 along with Third Team All State for the IBCA following last year. Dowell has had the chance to learn from five-time IBCA Co-Coach of the Year in District 19 4A (Coach Knolhoff) and amassed 1,000 career points in her junior year as a Panther.
Lenz, a 5-8 guard from Eden Prairie, Minn., was awarded 2021-22 Lake Conference All-Conference and Minnesota Girls Basketball Association All-State Honorable Mention honors. As a junior, Lenz was selected as one of Eden Prairie’s three Varsity captains. Lenz will join former Redbird Viria Livingston (from Minneapolis) and fellow signee Savannah McGowan as athletes to come from Minnesota and play for ISU under head coach Gillespie.
McGowan, a 6-2 forward from Minneapolis, Minn., amassed 1,000 career points during her junior season for the Armstrong High Falcons, gaining her All-State honorable mention honors. McGowans joins former Redbird Viria Livingston (also from Minneapolis) as athletes to come from Minnesota and play for ISU under head coach Gillespie.
SEASON TICKETS
Season tickets are available for the 2022-23 season. Follow this link to purchase your season tickets or contact the Athletics Ticket Office at (309) 438-8000 for more information. Tickets start at just $65 for general admission to the women’s season. 
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:  Your sources for Illinois State tickets, Weisbecker Scholarship Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.
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