After 3-game road stretch, there’s no place like home for ISU women

Sycamores host SEMO today at 6 p.m.

By Andy Amey

TERRE HAUTE — There’s no place like home, Kelsey Luna said Monday, even though the Indiana State senior guard is coming off three road games as arguably the hottest women’s basketball player in the country.

“It will be extremely, extremely exciting for us,” said Luna of today’s 6 p.m. game against Southeast Missouri State in Hulman Center. “It’s heartwarming to go on the road and still have more fans than the other team does. But to be at home, where there are people you know all around you and you can hear them calling your name … you can’t replace that.”

The Sycamores come into tonight’s game with a 3-0 record. Luna comes in averaging 29 points per game, also contributing mightily in the rebound, assist and steal categories, and has won the first two Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week awards.

“It’s nice to be able to come out and contribute to my team,” said Luna, who missed the end of last season with a knee injury. “I feel completely blessed to be a part of this program and to do the things I’ve been able to do lately.”

It’s a good thing she has, coach Jim Wiedie indicated Monday.

Although the Sycamores took momentum from a season-opening 77-73 win at Kansas State — where the Wildcats hadn’t lost a home opener since 1998 and had beaten 29 straight non-conference foes — into a road trip last weekend, they didn’t do as much with it as they could have, Wiedie indicated.

“We were really sloppy offensively, especially against Furman [a 62-47 win Thursday],” the coach said, “but defensively we were pretty good that night. Then on Saturday [an 80-72 win at South Carolina Upstate] we were sloppy offensively and sloppy defensively.

“If Luna and [sophomore center] Shannon [Thomas] don’t have those games [Thomas had a career high in scoring in each contest], and if we don’t hit 22 of 26 at the [foul] line, we could have been in trouble.”

Wiedie could almost see those performances coming, he hinted.

“Our practices [last] Monday and Tuesday were very lethargic, kind of going through the motions,” he said, “and I’m a believer that you play like you practice … we need to be more concerned with preparation.”

Lethargy shouldn’t be a problem tonight. Primed by those three season-opening wins, the Sycamore faithful — numerous and vocal for ISU’s two exhibitions — should be out in force.

“It’s very nice to be home, and we’re excited to play in front of our fans,” Wiedie said. “It feels like we’ve been away forever, and hopefully people will be excited to see this team.”

Indiana State has never lost to the Redhawks, although last year’s win was a 75-72 squeaker at Cape Girardeau.

“They were a veteran team last year but they have nine freshmen this year,” Wiedie said of the 2-1 Redhawks, who lost 72-46 Saturday at Missouri State. “On film, it looks like they haven’t found themselves yet … and its good to play those [kind of] teams early.”

Southeast Missouri State at Indiana State

Tipoff — 6 p.m. today in Hulman Center.

Broadcasts — Radio: WSDM-FM 92.7. Radio stream at Crock927.com. Live stats and live audio and video at GoSycamores.com.

Last time out — Indiana State won 80-72 Saturday at South Carolina Upstate. Southeast Missouri lost 72-46 that day at Missouri State.

Series — Indiana State is 4-0 against the Redhawks, including a 75-72 win last November at Cape Girardeau.

The players

Southeast Missouri State Redhawks (2-1) — Bianca Beck (5-7 Soph., 8 ppg), Jasmine Davis (5-7 Fr., 11 ppg), Lauren Sharpe (6-0 Jr., 11 ppg), Bailie Roberts (5-10 Fr., 10.5 ppg) and Lesley Adams (6-2 Sr., 7.5 ppg, 6.7 rpg) are probable starters.

Coach — John Ishee (62-33 in fourth year at SEMo, 91-54 in sixth year overall).

Indiana State Sycamores (3-0) — G Kelsey Luna (5-5 Sr., 29 ppg, 5.7 rpg), G Brittany Schoen (5-6 Soph., 2.7 ppg), G Deja Mattox (6-0 Soph., 12.3 ppg), F Kelsie Cooley (6-1 Jr., 7.3 ppg, 6.3 rpg) and C Shannon Thomas (12.3 ppg, 9 rpg) figure to be the starters.

Coach — Jim Wiedie (158-108 in his 10th year; he is now the winningest coach in ISU women’s basketball history).

Injuries — ISU sophomore Chelsea Buher missed Saturday’s game and has some issues with her back; she’s questionable for tonight’s game. Freshmen Andrea Rademacher and Meaghan MacDougall are out for the season.

Keys to the game

• SEMO, which won home games against Missouri-St. Louis and Southern Mississippi before losing at Missouri State, has nine freshmen on its roster. That may have contributed to the one-sided loss in the Redhawks’ first road game, and they’ll be greeted with another loud and enthusiastic crowd tonight.

• Wiedie considers depth — even if Buher is unavailable — to be one of his team’s strengths, and the Sycamores should have a significant edge in that department.

• Indiana State has Kelsey Luna. Southeast Missouri State doesn’t.

Next — Both teams play home games on Sunday, ISU against Central Michigan and Southeast Missouri State against Wisconsin-Green Bay.

— Andy Amey