TERRE HAUTE —
When Indiana State’s women’s basketball opponents gameplan for the Sycamores, the defensive scheme begins with 6-foot-4 senior Shannon Thomas.
Southern Illinois coach Missy Tiber had beefy center Alexus Patterson pushing Thomas off the low block throughout Sunday afternoon’s battle in Hulman Center.
Thomas finished with 20 points, but she had to earn 10 of those at the free throw line, which is where Thomas reached the 1,000-point mark in her career on a recent road trip to Chicago.
Thomas is already ISU’s all-time shot blocker and one of five players in the program’s history to score 1,000 points and grab 700 rebounds. She joins Amy Hile, Barbara Graves, Judy Ellner and Livia Hester on that list.
Thomas seems to become repetitive in her attempts to attack defenses, and the Salukis were able to execute a gameplan that helped give them a chance to win.
“I liked our schemes on her. She got several points on offensive rebounds and fouls. We made some double-down plays from different types of player,” Tiber said. “She’s probably one of the best players, if not the best 5-spot in the league. We just felt we needed to pay her special attention and make it difficult. We did pretty well. I like our percentage [holding her 5 of 12 from the field]. She shoots over 50 percent typically.”
Thomas was frustrated with her performance after the game.
“I didn’t really shoot it that great. That’s usually not how I shot it. That last shot, I was actually kind of surprised they went to me,” Thomas said. “[Patterson] was like three times my size so it was hard to handle that. That’s what happens. You just have to take it I guess.”
Coach Teri Moren praised Thomas’ career accomplishments, but she also pulled her standout center two minutes into Sunday’s game for freshman Racheal Mahan. The ISU coaching staff didn’t like what it saw effort-wise from the senior starter.
“I’m glad she’s not happy with her performance. I was a little bit upset with her coming out flat, not intense. That’s where she has to grow in her game, every night for 40 minutes. She’s not a secret. Everybody in the league knows that she’s talented around the basket,” Moren said. “For her, it’s about every night showing up and being intense and having the energy level. At times [Sunday], she was flat-footed, she wasn’t getting the loose balls, she wasn’t rotating over, she didn’t box out a couple times. Those are the things I get frustrated with in her game.”
Previous head coach Jim Wiedie made similar comments about Thomas not realizing her potential.
“We’ll take 20 points a night from her, but when 20 could be 30, those are things we have to take a look at,” Moren said. “There’s no reason for kids not to have intensity. We talk all the time that there’s 40 minutes and you don’t get those back. You’re at home, the Missouri Valley has set us up to be successful here, being at home our first three games, and we talked about protecting our home floor. This is a tremendous opportunity for us to get off to a good start at home because we’ve played well at home for the most part.
“We’ve got to continue to talk to our squad about the energy level. It was there Friday. Why it wasn’t there to start off tonight? I’m not sure.”
• Mahan a boost — Mahan has surpassed Andrea Rademacher and Sadie Oyer in the ISU post rotation. Moren credits the freshman’s work in practice.
“She’s a kid that didn’t play a ton in preseason,” Moren said. “We’re giving her more minutes because she’s been practicing really hard and her focus has been there. She has a very bright future here. It was nice to see her play some minutes here.”
Mahan, still wearing a knee brace, suffered a torn ACL late in her senior year of high school in 2011.
She’s showing a little more explosiveness on the boards and a nice ability to finish near the basket.
• Whitley still fighting pain — While Taylor Whitley played 19 productive minutes Sunday, she’s still dealing with the effects of a second surgery on her left knee.
Whitley may not be back to 100 percent at all this season, but her veteran leadership at point guard can still be crucial for ISU.
“I don’t know that she’ll be 100 percent. I really don’t. She’s had two scopes on the same knee,” Moren said. “A good 80-percent Taylor is a pretty good basketball player.”
Whitley has matured and is able to accomplish things in practice without aggravating the knee too much.
“I think she still has some soreness. I think we’ve really been cautious in terms of her minutes played, her practicing, her taking more reps off,” Moren said. “We really kind of go based on how Taylor feels. She’s matured as a person that she can now have a conversation with you, ‘I’m at an 8 today, my pain level, I should probably pull back a little bit.’ ”
• Valley stepping up — Jessica Valley was as poised as anyone down the stretch Sunday. The 5-9 freshman from Lafayette was able to gain some important experience during the nonconference portion of ISU’s schedule. She’s taken her lumps at times and excelled at other times.
On Sunday, Moren had confidence in her at point guard with the game on the line.
Valley came off a Thomas ball screen and pulled up to hit a 17-foot jump shot. She also hit two clutch free throws to stretch ISU’s lead to 70-66 in the final minute.
“It was disappointing that we let them back in the game, because it could have been a blowout. … We showed our toughness in the end,” Valley said of the win.
“This kid has so much talent and now with Taylor back in the mix, at some point we’ll be able to move her to her natural position [shooting guard or small forward],” Moren said.
College
Thomas ISU’s mainstay
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