The Indiana State women's basketball team completes its three-game homestand on Tuesday, Dec. 1, playing host to Detroit Mercy. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. (ET) at Hulman Center (10,200).
Live stats are available at GoSycamores.com, while the game will be broadcast on 92.7 The Crock with Brent Holl calling the action. Live video is also available at GoSycamores.com.
ISU has opened the 2009-10 season with a 5-0 record, sparked by a 77-73 road victory at Kansas State on Nov. 14. The Sycamores posted wins at Furman (62-47) and USC Upstate (80-72) on Nov. 19 and 21, respectively, and made their home debut with a 72-28 win over Southeast Missouri State on Nov. 24. The most recently earned a 76-57 victory over Central Michigan on Nov. 29.
Sophomore guard Brittany Schoen led the way against the Chippewas on Sunday with a career-high 17 points on five 3-pointers, while sophomore Chelsea Buher had a breakout game with 12 points and a game-leading eight rebounds. Sophomore Shannon Thomas matched Buher with eight boards and added 10 points, while senior guard Kelsey Luna added nine points and six assists on the day.
Scouting the Competition: Detroit Mercy Titans
Detroit (1-3) was picked to finish eighth in the Horizon League's 2009-10 preseason coaches' poll released last month after posting an overall record of 12-19 in 2008-09. UDM opened its season with a 74-65 win at Oakland, then fell to No. 10 Michigan State, 71-62. The Titans were most recently edged at home by Canisius, 54-52, on Nov. 24.
Detroit is led by Brigid Mulroy, who averages 18.5 points per game, and Yar Shayok with an average of 9.5 boards and 14.0 points per contest. Mulroy was named Horizon League Player of the Week after a career-high 27-point performance against Michigan State, while Shayok achieved her first career double-double against Oakland with 26 points and 14 rebounds.
Head coach Autumn Rademacher is in her second season at the helm of the program and has a career record of 13-22. A former UDM basketball player herself, she played from 1993 to 1997 and earned first-team all-conference honors twice in her career.
Luna Eclipses 1,000 Career Points Mark
Against Kansas State on Nov. 14, Kelsey Luna reached the coveted 1,000 career points mark in the first game of her senior year. She is the 22nd Sycamore in program to accomplish the feat, with the second-most recent ISU player to reach 1,000 being Laura Rudolphi in 2007-08.
On Sunday, Luna contributed nine points in the Sycamores' 76-57 win over Central Michigan. Over the last three-plus seasons, she has totaled 1,093 career points.
Luna currently leads Indiana State in points (111), free throw percentage (.967, 29-30), assists (19) and steals (14).
Luna's Points by Season
2006-07 (Fr.) 2007-08 (So.) 2008-09 (Jr.) 2009-10 (Sr.) Career Total
342 320 320 111 1,093
Schoen, Buher Chalk Up Career Highs Against Chippewas
Sophomores Brittany Schoen and Chelsea Buher had an outstanding day for the Sycamores on Sunday against Central Michigan, as both set or tied multiple career highs. Schoen paced ISU with a game-high and career-best 17 points on five 3-pointers, which matched her career best for treys set as a freshman. She also had five rebounds and her second career block, along with a career-high-tying four assists.
Buher, a transfer from Illinois, finished with a stellar effort of her own, totaling a career-high 12 points. Her performance was highlighted by a perfect 3-for-3 from long range, along with a game-leading eight caroms and two assists in 20 minutes of work -- all of which were career bests at Indiana State and topped nearly every category from her freshman season with the Fighting Illini.
Sycamores' 5-0 Start Ranks Among Best in Program History
Indiana State's 5-0 start to the 2009-10 season currently ranks second all-time in program history, just behind a 10-0 mark from the 1973-74 Sycamores. The early undefeated record is ISU's best since 2007-08, when it was 3-0 to begin the year.
Best Starts in ISU History
Rank Season Record Coach
1 1973-74 10-0 Edith Godleski
2 2009-10 5-0 Jim Wiedie
3 1998-99 4-0 Cheryl Reeve
1976-77 4-0 Edith Godleski
1975-76 4-0 Edith Godleski
6 2007-08 3-0 Jim Wiedie
2002-03 3-0 Jim Wiedie
1990-91 3-0 Kay Riek
Luna Leads the League
Kelsey Luna leads the Missouri Valley Conference for the third straight week in scoring average (22.2), just ahead of Missouri State's Casey Garrison (21.4).
Additionally, Luna is second in 3-pointers made with 2.8 per game and free throw percentage (.967) with a near perfect 29-for-30 performance at the charity stripe. She also ranks fourth in steals (2.8) and fifth in assists (3.8).
Luna Earns Second Straight MVC Player of the Week Award
Kelsey Luna has been named MVC Player of the Week for the second straight week, the league office announced on Nov. 23. Luna's combined 50-point performance over two games at Furman and USC Upstate garnered her the weekly conference honor for the second time this season and third time in her career.
The senior was previously named player of the week on Nov. 15 after a career-best 37-point game at Kansas State.
Mattox, Thomas Solid in South Carolina
Sophomores Deja Mattox and Shannon Thomas both hit multiple career highs in ISU's two-game swing through South Carolina last week. Mattox had a career-best 14 points, highlighted by a three-trey performance, against Furman on Nov. 19.
Thomas, meanwhile, was solid at USC Upstate with her second double-double as a Sycamore. The center had 19 points and 13 rebounds, as well as six blocks -- and all three categories were career highs.
Wiedie Tops ISU Record for Career Coaching Wins
Head coach Jim Wiedie, who is in his 10th season at the helm of the Sycamore program, became Indiana State's winningest women's basketball coach in school history with the Sycamores' win at Furman on Nov. 19. After a victory against Central Michigan, the skipper boasts a record of 160-108 (.597) over the last nine years, which is just ahead of Edith Godleski's career record of 156-116 (.575), amassed from 1971-82.
ISU All-Time Coaching Ranks
By Victories
Rank Coach Years Record (Percentage)
1 Jim Wiedie 2000-present 160-108 (.596)
2 Edith Godleski 1971-82 157-116 (.575)
3 Andi Myers 1982-1989 85-109 (.438)
4 Cheryl Reeve 1995-2000 66-77 (.462)
5 Kay Riek 1989-1995 66-96 (.407)
Welcome to the Show
Three Indiana State newcomers -- freshmen Moriah Hodge and Taylor Whitley and sophomore Chelsea Buher -- made their Sycamore debuts against Kansas State on Nov. 14. Hodge finished with six rebounds, a block and a steal, while Whitley totaled three steals and six points, all from the free throw line. Over the first four games, Whitley has averaged six points per game, and Hodge has three rebounds per contest.
Buher, who sat out the 2008-09 season after transferring from the University of Illinois, hit a free throw and dished out an assist against the Wildcats.
Freshman Krista Smith also saw action in the Furman game on Nov. 19, hitting one free throw in the 62-47 win. She added three points and a rebound in seven minutes against SEMO.
Thomas Leads ISU Defense
Sophomore Shannon Thomas finished her freshman campaign with 32 total blocks and an average of 5.4 rebounds per game. Thomas has been a key defensive cog for ISU over the last four contests, averaging 8.6 boards and 2.8 blocks, as well as 12.0 points per game in 145 total minutes of work.
Balanced Scoring Attack
Though Kelsey Luna had an outstanding 37-point performance to lead the Sycamores in their season opener, ISU shared scoring duties among six different players. Kelsie Cooley (12) and Deja Mattox (11) both reached double digits, while Shannon Thomas chipped in seven points of her own. In addition, ISU had 10 off the bench; Chelsea Buher added four, and Taylor Whitley had six points off free throws alone.
Against Furman, nine student-athletes put up points for ISU, led by Luna's 17, as well as 14 from Mattox and 11 from Thomas. The same trio all scored in double figures to lead the Sycamores at USC Upstate, with Luna finishing at 33, Thomas with 19 and Mattox with 12. Senior Laurence Rivest also had her first points of the season off a pair of free throws at Upstate.
In Indiana State's last two home games, 11 of 13 Sycamores contributed offensively in both contests. Three finished in double figures against Central Michigan -- Brittany Schoen (17), Chelsea Buher (12) and Thomas (10).
Pounding the Paint
Indiana State defeated Kansas State by a score of 77-73, thanks in part to a strong effort in the post by the Sycamores. ISU scored 32 of its 77 points in the paint against the Wildcats. In addition, ISU had 37 boards, with Shannon Thomas leading the way with seven.
The Nov. 21 game at USC Upstate was another battle, with the Sycamores outscoring the Spartans 32-28 in the paint. Chelsea McMillan was Upstate's main threat inside, finishing with 20 points, but ISU's Shannon Thomas and Kelsie Cooley put up an aggressive post effort with 13 and eight rebounds, respectively. Thomas also had six blocks to her credit.
Against SEMO, ISU outscored the Redhawks 28-6 in the paint.
Sycamore Schedule Features Six Postseason Teams
ISU's schedule for the 2009-10 season will serve as a challenge for the Sycamores in preparation for postseason competition in March. The slate includes games with six postseason-qualifying teams from last season -- Kansas State (NCAA), Evansville (NCAA), Creighton (NIT), Illinois State (NIT), Butler (NIT) and SMU (NIT).
KSU played in first- and second-round NCAA action before falling to Vanderbilt, 74-61. Evansville's NCAA run ended with a first-round loss to Texas A&M, 80-45.
Luna Selected to Preseason All-MVC Team
Kelsey Luna was named to the Preseason All-Missouri Valley Conference team, the league office announced in October. Luna was previously honored as first-team All-MVC in 2009 despite missing the eight of games of her junior season due to an ACL tear. She is joined on the preseason squad by Casey Garrison (Missouri State), Maggie Krick (Illinois State), Megan Neuvirth (Creighton) and Jordann Plummer (Drake).
ISU Picked Fifth in Preseason MVC Poll
Indiana State was selected to finish fifth in the MVC's 2009-10 preseason poll, the conference office announced prior to MVC Media Day in October. The Sycamores earned 250 points for fifth place, sitting behind preseason favorite Creighton (393), Illinois State (340), Drake (296) and Northern Iowa (253). Bradley (214) came in at sixth, followed by Missouri State (188), Evansville (108), Wichita State (97) and Southern Illinois (61). Preseason standings are chosen in a survey of league coaches, sports information directors and media members.
Luna Named Candidate for Lowe's Senior CLASS Award
Kelsey Luna is one of 60 men's and women's basketball student-athletes tabbed as candidates for the 2009-10 Lowe's Senior CLASS Award, it was announced Nov. 4.
To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence - classroom, character, community and competition.
Luna is one of four players in the 2009-10 candidate class who are CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-Americans, as she was a second-team honoree as a junior. She is also one of just three student-athletes on the list with a perfect 4.0 grade-point average during her collegiate academic career.
An acronym for "Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School," the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.
The two lists of 30 candidates will be narrowed to 10 finalists each midway through the regular season. Those 10 names will be placed on the official ballot, which will be distributed through a nationwide voting system to media, coaches and fans. One finalist will be selected, best exemplifying excellence in the four Cs of classroom, character, community and competition.
ISU Has Young, Experienced Sophomores in 2009-10
Despite having a roster with just three seniors and one junior, Indiana State returns considerable experience for the 2009-10 season. After suffering a setback with four ACL injuries last year -- including all-conference pick Kelsey Luna -- the Sycamores were forced to utilize all of their underclassmen in considerable playing roles. Three then-freshmen -- Brittany Schoen, Shannon Thomas and Deja Mattox -- all averaged over 20 minutes per game in their inaugural season and have since resumed a starting role for ISU in 2009-10.
Thomas totaled 161 rebounds (5.4 per game) as a freshman and ranks behind only senior Kelsey Luna (255) and junior Kelsie Cooley (187) among active career leaders in that category. In addition, Thomas is the Sycamores' active career leader in blocks with 32.
Schoen, who averaged nearly 25 minutes per game last season, capped her first-year campaign with a season-best performance against Bradley at the Missouri Valley Conference tournament. She put up 16 points against the Braves and finished the year with 20 steals, good for third-most on the team.
Mattox had an outstanding first half of the season before tearing her ACL on Jan. 22 against Southern Illinois. Before the injury, she averaged almost 27 minutes per game, as well as 8.4 points and 4.1 rebounds per contest.
Buher Returns to Court After Transfer From Illinois
Sophomore Chelsea Buher, who sat out the 2008-09 season as mandated by NCAA rules, returns to competitive action this season after transferring from Illinois. The guard has three years of eligibility remaining as a student-athlete.
Buher had a breakout game against Central Michigan on Sunday, putting up 12 points on perfect 3-for-3 shooting from long range. She tacked on eight rebounds and two assists in 20 minutes for career highs in every category.
Five Freshmen Added to ISU Roster
Five freshmen are part of Indiana State's roster this season -- Moriah Hodge, Meaghan MacDougall, Andrea Rademacher, Krista Smith and Taylor Whitley.
Whitley was solid against Southern Indiana in exhibition, totaling nine points off the bench, which followed up her seven-point performance against Bellarmine. Hodge also tacked on seven points in the BU game, while also grabbing five rebounds and putting up a block.
Smith is a local product from Terre Haute South Vigo High School. She made the most of her seven minutes of playing time against Bellarmine, notching six points with a steal.
MacDougall and Rademacher are unlikely to see action early in the 2009-10 season due to injuries. Rademacher has a right foot injury that will keep her off the court at least three months, while MacDougall has a pre-existing leg condition and is awaiting surgery.
Wiedie Signs Four Student-Athletes for Class of 2010
Head coach Jim Wiedie announced on Nov. 11 that four student-athletes have signed National Letters of Intent for the 2010-10 season: Nikki Gunning, Anna Munn, Sadie Oyer, and Illyssa Vivo.
"This is a very talented group of young women we've signed, and we're proud to have them join the Sycamore program," Wiedie said. "We've addressed every position, and with their talent, athleticism and versatility as a class, they're going to complement the group we already have very well. With that outstanding combination, I believe that in the next few years, we can field one of the best teams we've ever had at Indiana State."
2010 Signing Class
Player Pos. Ht. Hometown (High School)
Nikki Gunning G 5-8 Howell, Mich. (Howell)
14 ppg, 632 career points; Press & Argus Player of the Year; Class A district champion
Anna Munn F 5-10 Indianapolis, Ind. (Decatur Central)
16.9 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 2.6 apg; Two-time all-state; Ranked No. 2 prospect in Indiana (by ESPN HoopGurlz)
Sadie Oyer C 6-2 Huntsville, Ohio (Indian Lake)
10.9 ppg, 6.3 rpg; AP Division 2 state champion; Three-time all-conference
Illyssa Vivo G 5-9 Plantation, Fla. (American Heritage)
9 ppg, 4 rpg, 3.6 apg; Two-time all-county; First Wiedie recruit from Florida
2008-09 Squad Tops WBCA's National Team GPA List
Indiana State finished first in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association's 2008-09 Academic Top 25 Team Honor Roll released in July. With six student-athletes posting perfect 4.0 grade-point averages, the Sycamores tallied a team GPA of 3.645 last season to win the national team title for the third time in program history (2003, 2005). It also marked the eighth consecutive season that ISU has appeared in the top 25. Kelsey Luna led the academic charge by being named a second-team Academic All-American by CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine.
Sycamores to Make Appearance on FSN in January
Indiana State is slated to play in front of a national television audience on Friday, Jan. 8, when it plays host to conference foe Illinois State. Tipoff is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. at Hulman Center, and the game is part of the MVC's annual television package.
Up Next for the Sycamores...
The Sycamores travel to Edwardsville, Ill., to face SIU-Edwardsville on Saturday, Dec. 5. Tipoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. (ET).
Courtesy: Kara Berchem/ISU Photographic Services
