The last time Illinois State started its women's basketball season with a 6-1 mark Gerald Ford was President of the United States and a gallon of milk cost $1.68.  That was 1976-77, and while a lot has changed, the Redbirds are still strong as they sit atop the league with a 6-1 mark after two wins, one on the road, last week.  Valley teams combined for a 11-7 record over the week, while Wichita State's Kiki Stephens and Northern Iowa's Jacqui Kalin have earned weekly honors.

Player of the Week
Kiki Stephens, Wichita State, Sr, F, Tulsa, Okla.
Stephens averaged 19.5 points per game in the Shockers’ two wins at home last week, averaging 33.5 minutes per contest. The Tulsa, Okla., native shot nearly 60 percent on the week, tying a season high with eight field goals in each game. The forward was also second on the squad with 6.0 rebounds per contest, including eight against Nicholls State which tied a season best. Stephens added a block and a pair of steals to her totals for the week, moving to fifth on the conference’s blocked shots chart this season.  The senior shot 70 percent at the free throw line on the week, and tied a career high with four assists in Saturday’s win over Western Illinois. She posted her eighth career 20-point performance against the Westerwinds on Saturday leading WSU to the win with critical buckets down the stretch, including a jumper with less than a minute left that gave the Shockers a four-point lead with :50 seconds left in the game.  Stephens moved into 10th on the school’s all-time scoring list with 19 points against Nicholls State, and now stands 22 points away from passing former Shocker Crystal Westfield for ninth.

Newcomer of the Week
Jacqui Kalin, Northern Iowa, Fr, G, Sioux City, Iowa
Freshman point guard Jacqui Kalin led the Panthers with 14.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game to help UNI pick up two wins last week. Kalin was 6-of-10 from the floor (60 percent) and 3-of-5 (60 percent) from three-point range on the week. She was 13-of-15 (86.7 percent) from the free throw line. Kalin’s 10 assists on the week were countered by just three turnovers in those two games. Kalin scored 12, dished out five assists and grabbed two steals in the Panthers’ 52-44 win at Western Illinois on Nov. 28. She scored a career-high 16 points with five assists and five rebounds to help the Panthers top Detroit 62-35 on Nov. 30. Kalin is averaging 11 points, 5.2 rebounds, 5.33 assists and 33 minutes per game this season.

Other Notable Performers...Player: Renee Frericks, Bradley; Sam Schuett, Creighton; Lauren Dybing, Drake; Rebekah Parker, Evansville; Ashleen Bracey, Illinois State; Angela Phillips, Indiana State; Tahnee Balerio, Missouri State; Jacqui Kalin, Northern Iowa; Ellen Young, Southern Illinois.

Other Notable Performers...Newcomer:Kristin Turk, Drake; Maggie Dwyer, Missouri State; Ellen Young, Southern Illinois.

BRADLEY
Frericks Ties School Record
Sophomore guard Renee Frericks tied a school record with eight three-point baskets in the Braves 83-57 victory against Eastern Illinois.  Frericks entered the game with nine career points and was 1-for-11 in her career from three-point range, but connected on 8-of-11 trey’s against the Panthers to tie Andrea McAllister’s school record of eight three-pointers set Jan. 27, 1990.  The eight trey’s also broke a Robertson Memorial Field House record, which was held by six individuals (including four former Bradley players) and is tied for the third highest game total in Missouri Valley Conference history.  Frericks finished the game with a career-best 26 points, crushing her previous high of four points.

Braves End Scoring Drought
Bradley scored a season-high 83 points in last Tuesday’s victory against Eastern Illinois, ending a streak of 10 consecutive games in which the Braves didn’t reach the 70-point mark dating back to last season.  The 10-game stretch under 70 points was the first for the Braves since failing to score 70 or more in the first 35 games of intercollegiate competition.  Bradley was held to under 70 points for the entire 1975-76 (11 games) and 1976-77 (18 games) seasons in addition to the first six games of the 1977-78 campaign.  Despite the offensive struggles, the Braves have emerged as one of the top defensive teams in the conference, limiting foes to 63.3 points per game. 

CREIGHTON
Thirty Something
Nebraska native Sam Schuett scored a career-high 30 points at in-state rival Nebraska last Friday night.  The sophomore came off the bench to make the first 10 field goals she attempted, before finishing 11-of-14 from the field for her career night.  She’s the first Bluejay to score 30 points in a game since Angie Janis did so against Bradley on March 2, 2006.  Schuett added 10 rebounds for her first double-double of the year and fourth of her career.

Family Tradition
In the Woodard household, excellent free-throw shooting is apparently a tradition to be passed on.  Creighton freshman Kelsey Woodard is 19-for-19 at the free-throw line to start her career.  Older sister, Kristi, who played at Creighton from 2002-06 and is now the CU graduate manager, owns the top two single-season free-throw percentage marks and the career free-throw percentage record at Creighton.  The elder Woodard shot 86.2 percent at the line in her career, while her CU single-season record is 89.2 percent in 2003-04.

Rocky Mountain High
Creighton travels to Colorado on Wednesday for a game against the University of Denver.  The contest will be CU’s third in the state this season, where the Jays are 2-0 after winning a tournament hosted by Colorado State over Thanksgiving weekend.  Under Jim Flanery, the Bluejays are now 4-0 in Colorado and 4-0 against teams from the state (2-0 against Colorado and 2-0 against Colorado State).  The Jays have won six straight games in the state, dating to an 86-73 loss to CSU on Jan. 27, 1990.

DRAKE
Celebrate Good Times
Drake celebrated the 15th anniversary of the Knapp Center on Sunday (Dec. 2) defeating Montana State.  Jenny Stanton, who scored the first basket for the Bulldogs in that game versus the same Bobcat team was honored prior to Sunday’s contest.

Setting the Pace
Senior Jill Martin is on pace to make her 100th career start versus Iowa State on Sunday (Dec. 9), while fellow senior Lindsay Whorton is expected to appear in her 100th career contest that day as well.Martin needs one point to surpass the 1,500-point plateau for her career at Drake

EVANSVILLE
In Good Company
  Senior guard Rebekah Parker joined an elite list at Evansville on Sunday, as she became just the second female and fifth player overall at UE to record over 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, and 250 assists as a Purple Ace.  Parker joined UE Hall of Fame member Barb Dykstra and former men’s basketball standouts Andy Elkins, Reed Jackson, and Theren Bullock as the only players in UE basketball history to surpass 1,000 points, 500 boards, and 250 assists as a Purple Ace.  Parker has recorded 1,097 points, 503 rebounds, and 313 career assists at UE.

Start Me Up
Sophomore forward Anaris Sickles earned the first two starts of her UE career this week, and responded in fine fashion.  Sickles averaged 10.0 points and 6.0 rebounds per game this past week in helping the Purple Aces to a pair of victories.  She shot an even 50.0 percent from both the floor
(6-for-12) and from beyond the arc (2-for-4) in the two games, while going a perfect 6-for-6 from the free throw line.  Sickles capped her week with a season-best 13-point, nine-rebound performance against IUPUI on Sunday.

A Case For The Defense
  UE posted one of its best defensive halves in nearly 20 years on Tuesday, as the Purple Aces limited Tennessee Tech to just 12 first-half points on 18 percent shooting from the floor.  The 12 first-half points represent the lowest point total for a half by a UE opponent since Evansville took a 50-6 lead into the halftime locker room against Illinois-Chicago on December 19, 1987.  The school record for lowest point total in a half is just two points, set in both halves of UE’s 82-4 victory over St. Mary-of-the-Woods during the
1981-82 season.

ILLINOIS STATE
It’s Been A While
Illinois State is 6-1 for the third time in program history and the first time since 1976-77.  The Redbirds earned their fifth-straight win over Loyola, 82-51, thanks to 40 points from the team’s bench.

Career Day
Three players recorded career-highs in points against Loyola: Sophomore forward Ashleen Bracey (16), junior forward Brea Banks (13) and freshman guard Amanda Clifton (6). The Redbirds have not trailed in their last two games.

Hudson Aims High
Senior guard Tiffany Hudson scored a career-high 24 points to lead the Redbirds past Eastern Michigan. Hudson made a career-best 10 field goals, including four three-pointers, which tied her career-high. It was the fourth time this season that Hudson set or tied her career-high in points.

INDIANA STATE
Is It Larry, No It’s Angela!
Thursday night’s performance by senior guard Angela Phillips drummed up memories of Indiana State’s most famous alum, Larry Bird, if for no other reason than the point total she amassed. She matched Larry Legend’s retired jersey number of ‘33’ by hitting 9-of-13 shots from the field, including a mark of 5-for-8 from behind the 3-point arc. It did not end there as Phillips also connected on a perfect 10-of-10 at the free throw line to tally her career-best 33 points. Her 33 points tie her for ninth on the all-time list for single-game point production and it is the most points by a Sycamore since Melanie Boeglin poured in a school-record 46 points at Drake on January 26, 2006. Phillips became the first 30-point scorer for the Sycamores since Rachel Maenpaa scored 32 points in last season’s regular season finale at Drake.

Free Throw Fun
Coming on the heals of ISU’s 15-of-19 performance at the free throw line against Butler, the Sycamores have now hit 138-of-177 attempts at the charity stripe so far this season, for a blazing 78.0%. In fact, ISU has made 138 free throws through six games this season, while opponents have attempted just 120. ISU’s opponents are hitting on 50% of their free throws against the Sycamores, going 60-of-120 at the charity stripe.

Triple Double Trouble
Through six games this season, the Indiana State Sycamores have placed three players in double figures scoring a total of three times, most recently against Eastern Illinois. ISU is a perfect 3-0 in games in which they have three players reach double figures. In fact, ISU has three players which average double figures scoring per game, led by Angela Phillips, who is averaging 16.2 points per game. Laura Rudolphi is right behind her at 15.5 ppg while Kelsey Luna has posted 12.8 ppg through the first six games. Overall, Indiana State is averaging 74.5 points per game.

MISSOURI STATE
In Search of a W
Including four straight losses to close the 2006-07 season, Missouri State’s current 10-game losing streak matches two previous streaks for the longest in school history. The Lady Bears dropped 10 straight contests from Dec. 8, 1979 through Jan. 14, 1980, then equaled that streak during the 1985-86 season when they lost 10 in a row from Nov. 30, 1985 to Jan. 9, 1986.

Climbing the Charts
With her 17-point effort versus UTSA, Tahnee Balerio topped the 900 career point mark and moved up the No. 20 spot on the Lady Bears’ career scoring chart. Balerio’s first field goal of the night against the Roadrunners with 17:04 to play in the first half pushed her past Lynne Miller and Kimberly Scoggin, who previously shared the 20th spot at 891 career points. Balerio needs 53 more points to reach Gail Beck in the No.19 spot on the chart at 965 career points.

No Cupcakes Here
Missouri State’s six non-conference opponents to date have combined to go 30-11 (.732) in 2007-08. The Lady Bears schedule has produced two games against ranked opponents (#21 Texas and #17 DePaul), and each of MSU’s six opponents thus far are at the .500 mark or better.

NORTHERN IOWA
Long December
The Panthers begin a month-long road swing when they play at Maryland on Dec. 7. The meeting with the Terrapins is the first of five road games for the Panthers in the month of December, and UNI does not have another home contest until they open Valley play against Bradley on Jan. 3.

Thirtysomethings
The Panthers allowed just Detroit to score just 35 points in UNI’s 62-35 win on Nov. 30. The 35 points are the fewest allowed by UNI since joining the Division I ranks. The Panthers have held their opponents to less than 40 three times since moving up, a 95-37 win over Chicago State on Jan. 18, 1989, a 63-35 win over Wichita State on Jan. 1, 2005, and the win on Nov. 30. This was the fewest points allowed by UNI since topping Luther 31-30 on Feb. 17, 1973.

Streaking
The Panthers put together consecutive wins for the first time this season when they topped Western Illinois and Detroit on Nov. 28 and 30. It comes just in time for the Panthers, whose next three opponents each earned places in the 2007 NCAA Tournament. The Panthers start at No. 3 Maryland on Dec. 7, and then on Dec. 9 UNI plays at UMBC, who earned a berth after winning the America East tournament. UNI’s follows that against in-state foe Iowa State on Dec. 18.

SOUTHERN ILLINOIS
Saluki Start
The Salukis are off to a 1-5 start through six games of the season for the first time since 2004-05, Saluki head coach Dana Eikenberg’s first season at SIU. Before the Austin Peay game Nov. 28, the Salukis season looked identical to a year ago when they recovered from a 1-4 start to finish 21-11 with a Missouri Valley Conference Championship.

Sweere On Pace for 1,000
Jayme Sweere is averaging 12.0 points this season, with 72 total through six games. The senior has recorded over 360 points in each of her first two seasons as a Saluki, bringing her career total to 805, just 195 away from the 1,000-point mark. Sweere is currently ranked 24th all-time in scoring at SIU, also the 24th Saluki to hit 800 points in her career.

Halftime Leads
In five of six games this season, the Salukis have trailed at half time. Southern led at the half in their last contest by eight points at Austin Peay, their first of the season. The Salukis recovered from a six-point deficit against Christian Brothers for their lone victory of the season Nov. 12 in SIU

WICHITA STATE
Inching Closer
WSU head coach Jane Albright inched closer to a career milestone with the Shockers’ two wins last week, as the 24-year veteran closed in on her 400th career Division I coaching victory. Albright, who has more Division I wins than any other Missouri Valley Conference head coach is in her fifth season at Wichita State and picked up victory 391 with wins over Nicholls State and Western Illinois.

We Meet Again
Wichita State’s next road test on Tuesday will be a difficult one as the Shockers travel to Big 12-foe Oklahoma State. While the Cowgirls are on the verge of the top 25 in the national polls, WSU does have a bit of history on its side, as its win in Stillwater in 2002 was the last win by a Shocker team on a Big 12 Conference floor. Since 2002, the Shockers are 0-2 in Big 12 arenas, including losses at Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. The Shockers have won four of the last five in the series with the Cowgirls.

Non-Conference Mark
With WSU’s win over Western Illinois on Saturday, the Shockers guaranteed themselves no worse than a .500 non-conference home record after moving to 3-0 in such games this season. WSU still has three more home non-conference tilts before the end of 2007, but can finish no worse than 3-3, giving Jane Albright five-straight seasons with a .500 or above non-conference campaign inside Charles Koch Arena.