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For the second time in his career, Illinois State’s Jackie Carmichael was named the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week according to the league office, after his performances in the Redbird victories over Missouri State and Southern Illinois. Carmichael averaged 22.5 points and 13.5 rebounds per game last week, as the Redbirds posted a 76-69 overtime win over Missouri State and a 60-40 victory against Southern Illinois. Carmichael recorded double-doubles in each game, including a career-best 26 points and a season-best 16 rebounds against Missouri State. In the two games, Carmichael shot 16-for-27 (.593) from the field, while averaging 35.0 minutes per game. He also added four blocked shots. Carmichael was the only Redbird to average double-digit points for the week, despite recording a pair of victories. As a result, Carmichael is now averaging a team-best 13.6 points for the Redbirds, while averaging 8.7 rebounds per game which leads the league. Missouri State uses big second half to top ISU Katie Broadway scored 19 points and led a 21-0 run for the Redbirds in the first half, but a strong offensive second half by Missouri State was too much for the Illinois State women’s basketball team, as the Redbirds fell, 83-68, Sunday, January 29th in JQH Arena. Jamie Russell netted 18 points, while Candace Sykes added 15 points and Marley Hall had 11. It was the second-straight game where four Redbird players recorded double-digit performances. Sykes brought down 11 rebounds, marking her second-straight double-double. Missouri State had a slight advantage on the boards, 40-39. The Redbirds (11-9, 6-3 MVC) shot 42 percent from the field, while the Lady Bears (13-6, 6-3 MVC) hit 47 percent of their shots. Illinois State scored in its first possession of the game, but didn’t hit a field goal for the next two minutes, as Missouri State went on a 9-1 run, jumping out to an 11-3 lead with 16:42 left in the first half. After a Redbird timeout, ISU went on a 21-0 run with 7:44 remaining in the half, 24-11, as MSU missed 14-consecutive shots and was scoreless for over nine minutes during the run. Broadway led the run with 11 points for the Redbirds, including three shots from beyond the arc. After taking a 13-point lead, the Lady Bears hit a three to get back within single digits, 29-20, with 3:47 left before intermission. Missouri State went on a 5-0 run to get within seven points, 29-22, with 2:23 left before the half, as Illinois State didn’t make a field goal for over three minutes. MSU hit back-to-back buckets to get within six points, but a basket at the buzzer by Broadway gave the Redbirds an eight-point lead, 35-27, heading into the locker room. At the half, Broadway led all scorers with 16 points and brought down four rebounds. Jenkins also grabbed four rebounds, while Sykes, Broadway and Jenkins each had two steals. Missouri State brought down more boards, 21-19, while ISU shot 48 percent from the field with MSU making 35 percent of its shots. Three shots from three-point land got Missouri State within five points of Illinois State, 42-38, with 16:40 left in the game. The Lady Bears hit a three-pointer to get within a point, but Sykes answered with a four-point play of her own, hitting a trey from the corner, while getting fouled. Sykes successfully hit the free throw to increase ISU’s lead to five, 46-41, with 14:51. The Lady Bears got the lead back with 11-straight points, 60-53, with 9:56 left in the game thanks to back-to-back three pointers by MSU. Missouri State continued to hit shots from the field and finished the second half shooting 59 percent and scoring 56 points in the half. The offensive threat was more than ISU could handle, as Illinois State fell 83-68 |
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High School Select Reprints available. 20111229 Northern Iowa v Illinois State - Images by Alan Look Lady Redbirds hands Wichita State first loss in Valley play, 68-59 Junior Candace Sykes recorded her second double-double of the season and led the Illinois State women’s basketball team in its win over Wichita State, 68-59, Friday, Jan. 27 in Koch Arena. With the win, the Redbirds handed the Shockers their first loss in Missouri Valley Conference play and snapped a 10-game winning streak. In the victory, four Redbirds recorded double-digit performances. Sykes had 16 points and 13 rebounds. Katie Broadway led all scorers with 17 points and grabbed six rebounds in the victory, as Marley Hall scored 13 points and Alexis Jenkins netted 10. Illinois State (11-8, 6-2 MVC) shot 48 percent from the field, while Wichita State (13-6, 7-1 MVC) made 39 percent of its shots. The Redbirds controlled the boards, 40-31, in the game and tallied 11 steals. Wichita State scored the first four points and held Illinois State scoreless for nearly the first three minutes of the game, but the Redbirds got back in the game, using a 7-0 run and scoring in three-straight possessions. ISU got on the board with back-to-back layups in transition by Hall and a three by Sykes with 15:55 left in the first half, 7-4. Jenkins hit a jumper from the corner to end a Redbird drought that lasted nearly four minutes and to regain the lead for ISU, 14-12, after the Shockers made two-straight shots with nine minutes left in the half. Wichita State tied the game, 18-18, with six minutes remaining before the break, but Illinois State ended the half on an 11-5 run to head into the locker room up by six, 29-23. At the half, Broadway led the Redbirds with seven points, while Sykes brought down eight rebounds. ISU had a slight edge over WSU on the boards, grabbing 20 compared to Wichita State’s 19. From the field, the Redbirds shot 46 percent, while the Shockers hit 32 percent of their shots. Sykes scored nine-straight points for the Redbirds, giving ISU a 10-point lead, 41-31, with 14:57 left in the game. Two minutes later, Broadway drove into the lane and successfully completed the and-one play, increasing the Redbirds lead to 12 points, 47-35, with 11:43 remaining in the game. A 6-0 run lengthened ISU’s lead to 16 points, 53-37, with 8:57 left in the game, thanks to back-to-back shots by Jenkins. Wichita State battled back and got within 10 points, 64-54, with 2:19 left in the game. However, back-to-back offensive rebounds gave the Redbirds valuable time at the end of the game, forcing the Shockers to foul to stop the clock. Wichita State made five-straight points, but it wasn’t enough, as Illinois State won, 68-59. Late rally gives Redbirds overtime win over Bears Junior Jackie Carmichael scored a career-high 26 and grabbed a season-high 16 rebounds to lead Illinois State (13-8, 5-5 MVC) to a 76-69 overtime comeback win over Missouri State (12-10, 5-5 MVC) Wednesday, January 25 on Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena. In 45 minutes of play, the Redbirds led for just one minute and 29 seconds to secure the overtime victory and secure a season sweep against the Bears. Carmichael recorded his sixth double-double of the season and his second in three games to lead the way for ISU, and Jon Ekey added 10 point and six rebounds in the victory. Missouri State was led by Valley Preseason Player of the Year Kyle Weems, who finished with 15 points and five rebounds. Missouri State jumped out to a quick five-point lead in the opening minutes, and despite layups from Nic Moore and Ekey, the Bears retained this lead until Bryant Allen, assisted by Tyler Brown, scored a three pointer, closing the lead to 14-10. MSU fired back, scoring a back-to-back three-pointer and layup, 19-10, until baskets from Ekey and Carmichael brought the score to 23-17. Missoursi State continued to post continuous points until a layup from Anthony Cousin and a three-pointer from Ekey broke the Bear’s streak, 32-25. A layup from the Bears at the buzzer pushed their lead back to a nine at the half, 34-25. The second half began with a seven-point run from the Redbirds, with layups from Carmichael and a three-pointer from Moore, closing the Missouri State advantage to 36-35. MSU went on a 10-2 run, putting them in front, 46-37. Allen scored his second three pointer of the game, again assisted by Brown, 46-40, and layups from Brown and Jordan Threloff pulled the Redbirds within six, 51-45. MSU and ISU traded baskets until dunk from Carmichael trimmed the Missouri State lead to 63-62. A three-pointer from Cousin gave ISU its first lead at 65-63 with 38 seconds remaining in regulation. The Bears evened the score with two free throws, and the Redbirds failed to score on their final possession of the second half, to force overtime. In the extra period, the Bears fired first, but Brown countered to keep the game even, 67-67. Carmichael posted a layup to put the Redbirds back in the lead, 69-67. Strong defense and clutch foul shooting sealed the victory for the Redbirds, 76-69. For the game, Illinois State knocked down 24 of its 33 free throw opportunities, while Missouri State connected on just five of its 14. The Redbird defense held MSU to just one made field goal on 10 attempts in the overtime period. |
Normal Community Ironmen, Normal Community West Wildcats, Ridgeview Mustangs, University High School Pioneers, Central Catholic Saints, Lexington Minutemen, ElPaso Gridley Titans, Illinois State University Redbird, Illinois Wesleyan Titan, State Farm Holiday Classic, McLean
Local Teams: Spread the RED - Support your Illinois State Redbirds
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High School Highlights I decided to do a little research on the subject of the duties of a high school athletic director after seeing Normal Community High School AD Andy Turner add one more to his own duties last week .But more about him shortly. I just wanted to look at the matter in general terms. Usually, the contact I have with our area athletic directors has to do with making sure The Normalite has a spot handy for our staff (that would be me, and our photographer) at football and basketball games. According to About.com, ADs “are responsible for preparing a budget, allocating spending on items like coach’s salaries, team travel, equipment purchases, and facility upkeep.” If you have been to football games, and you know any of our athletic directors, you may have seen them making last minute preparations to the facilities. About.com also explains that at the high school level, “Athletic directors work with coaches to determine scheduling of games and practices. They also work with conferences and leagues on scheduling and other issues, like post-season play. Within a program, decisions may have to be made on how to allocate time for a field, court, or weight room. In addition, ADs often provide guidance for coaches. ADs work with coaches to plan trips. They also coordinate officials and umpires at games and budget for their pay. ADs file status reports on each team, including successes and noting areas where improvement is needed. They may mediate any disputes between athletes and coaches or between coaches. That thumbnail sketch satisfied my curiosity about an AD position under normal circumstances. But since the beginning of the year, Turner has been adding another unexpected duty to his list at NCHS: Interim Head girls’ basketball coach. He said that although he does not teach classes, he said he “coaches every day.” Turner has been on the front lines of the Ironmen’s girls’ basketball program, serving as interim head coach of both the junior varsity and varsity squads after placing head coach Megan Schwefel and her assistants on administrative leave. On Jan. 26, Turner was on the sidelines for one of the bigger games of the season, at rival Normal Community West High School, with proceeds at the front gate of this game going to The Susan G. Komen Foundation, which helps fight breast cancer. It’s an annual event dubbed “the Pink game,” because both sides don pink jerseys for the contest. Turner was at the helm for both the JV and varsity contests, and deflected entirely any questions about how he felt about being on the sidelines by saying, “the kids have done a great job. They have been absolutely fabulous. They’ve done a great job.” And try as they might, the Lady Ironmen did their best but could not overcome West, as the Wildcats advanced on to a 58-42 victory on their home court. Turner said it has been “five or six years” since he was a head coach of a team. He did not, from what I witnessed from press row, seem ill at ease on the sidelines. But he was also very quick to take the spotlight off of himself or the current situation behind the scenes, which anyone would understand. “The kids have done everything to make it enjoyable,” Turner told me following the loss. “They’ve done things to make it our games competitive and fun. “They’ve done all the right things,” he said. “That’s the fun of it, right there. You’ve got to give all the credit to the kids. They’ve done all the things that make it fun and make it right.” It also doesn’t hurt to have an AD who can take charge and do it calmly in the most stressful of circumstances. All of our high school ADs in this area have that gift from what I have seen, and players, parents, and fans should all be grateful for that. That gift just got a little more noticeable given the situation at NCHS. On a related note, concerning the money raised at the “Pink” game, fans’ generosity needs to be noted, as the event raised $544.69 for the Komen Foundation. And there is another charity game yet to come between the boys’ high school teams that represent Unit 5 on Friday, Feb. 3, at Normal Community West High, starting with a 7:30p.m. tip. Donations will be taken at the door with those proceeds going to the American Heart Association. Before the varsity tilt starts, the JV teams from these schools will play a 6p.m. game. On another subject, I attended a high school competition of a different kind on Thursday, Jan. 26, the Intercity Scholastic Bowl. Teams of five high school students from the area schools competing in a knowledge test. Both Varsity and junior varsity were represented by all five schools. Bloomington High School was a perfect 4-0 in Varsity, with University High placing second going 3-1; Bloomington Central Catholic placed third at 2-2; Normal West placed fourth at 1-3; and NCHS was 0-4, placing fifth. In the JV standings, things were a little different although BHS placed first with a 4-0 mark. But NCHS came in second at 3-1; Central Catholic placed third at 2-2; University High placed fourth at 1-3; and Normal West placed fifth at 0-4. Whether varsity or junior varsity, all the teams from these schools are to be congratulated for their efforts. In a future column, I will tell you more about this scholastic event. Finally, best wishes go out to Rex Sligar. You may not know the name but if you spent any time getting snacks at Illinois Wesleyan University’s Shirk Center at either the Bloomington-Normal State Farm Holiday Tournament, or the McLean County/Heart of Illinois Conference Tournament, you probably can place his smiling face. He’s the bespectacled gentleman who runs the concession stand at IWU games and the high school tourneys that come through there. Rex has been recovering from a recent illness since late December, forcing him to miss part of the Holiday Tourney and all of the County Tournament. Those of us who have seen Rex regularly over the years at these events wish him well and hope to see him back at the Shirk Center soon. Normal West girls beat NCHS in annual “Pink” game by Steve Robinson With both sides in the game wearing jerseys of different shades of pink, the annual charity game between Unit 5’s two high schools’ girls teams may have had a different color tone, even if the tone of each team’s intensity in this rivalry did not change. After all, the teams themselves were not looking for charity, but for victory for themselves. In the process, Normal Community West rolled to a 58-42 victory, running their record to 12-7 overall, and 9-1 in the Big 12 Conference. The contest started out close, with West owning a slim 12-10 lead after one quarter, but West went on a quick 6-2 run in the second quarter which featured baskets by junior guard Rachel Weber and freshman guard Keely Theobald. Theobald fouled NCHS senior guard Sara Freed, who sank 1-of-2 free throws, cutting West’s lead to 18-13 with 5:21 left in the quarter. West would own a 27-20 halftime lead. Junior guard Abby Bender would open the third quarter with two of her 11 points on the night for NCHS (4-9, 2-8 in Big 12), cutting West’s lead to 27-22 at 6:47 of the third quarter. The only other player in double figures for West would be junior guard Luci Weis with 12 points. But after that, West reeled off 10 unanswered points, including three straight baskets before senior forward Kayla Koenig dropped 1-of-2 free throws and a deuce in the basket, halting West’s march at 37-25 with 2:04 in the quarter. Although sophomore guard Brittany Turner’s three in the closing moments of the quarter narrowed the gap for the Ironmen, they still trailed West going into the fourth quarter, 41-28. West jumped out to a 53-36 lead with 3:43 left in the game, aided by two baskets by junior guard Kennola Thomas, and a deuce by Theobald. Weis’ layup with 2:40 left cut West’s lead to 53-40, and senior guard Kayla Carstens’ deuce at 1:49 brought the Ironmen within 14, 56-42, forcing West to take a timeout to regroup. West junior guard Rachel Weber would be fouled twice by NCHS inside the last minute of the contest, and would subsequently go 2-for-4 from the charity stripe, resulting in the final score. “Normal Community made a run and they got within eight, and what I told our girls in the locker room afterward was that I think it was a sign of our team maturing...our juniors (thinking like) seniors, our sophomores (thinking like) juniors, and our freshmen (thinking like) sophomores out on the court,” Normal West head coach Angie Codron said afterward. Normal West has no seniors on this year’s squad. “It was nice to see our girls mature and handle that little run of NCHS that they made to get it within eight,” Codron said. “Our team has been in a lot of close situations where teams have made runs on us and we let them come back into games. That is something that we’ve talked about, so it was kind of nice to see them handle that run without my having to call a time out to help them adjust.” “You’ve got to be real proud of our kids,” said interim NCHS head coach Andy Turner. “We have nine turnovers on the day, we created some ball pressure and some turnovers that they didn’t anticipate making. With four minutes left in the game, you still weren’t sure who was going to win it. “I’m proud of our kids,” Turner added. “They did exactly what it takes to be competitive at that level. Nobody asked why. They just got after it and it what they had to do.” |
