WBB: Shockers at Illinois State and Southern Illinois

[1972Shocker]

Good Luck, Lady Shocks. Hopefully, I will be in a good mood after the men's game and return home to find more good news from Carbondale.

[oldtimewomen's hoopcoach]

Good Luck, Lady Shocks. Hopefully, I will be in a good mood after the men's game and return home to find more good news from Carbondale.

Big game for Alex, good balance with double figures from Bonner and Kelsey and close to doubles for Dap and Chapel who had her best game of the season; started the second half and never came out.
Alie was off, no points and sat the second half. Rest of team non-existent. Let's pack the gym against Drake on Friday and Senior day on Sunday.

[flyingMoose]

Scores

Southern Illinois 61-69 Shockers

Illinois State 78-90 Missouri State

Northern Iowa 89-44 Evansville

Drake 28-28 Indiana State Halftime

[1972Shocker]

Let's pack the gym against Drake on Friday and Senior day on Sunday.

Absolutely. Drake will be the biggest game of the year for the Shocks in Friday and we have a very, very special group of Seniors this year in Alex, Kelsey and Jamillah to honor on Sunday. Alex is one of the best (if not the best) Shocker women to ever wear the Black and Yellow, Kelsey, as hard a working, 5-year Super Glue Player as we have ever had and Jamillah, a local girl who is probably the 2nd best Juco transfer in program history. These Ladies have led the Shockers to many program firsts and Alex and Kelsey are the 2 winningest Shocker WBB players in school history. They deserve every bit of support and thanks we can muster.

[1972Shocker]

Very, very nice win for the Lady Shocks at SIU today against the two most athletic teams in the league. Just looking at the box score it appears as if both teams played well today after both played poorly on Friday.

If you had told me that SIU would have 4 players in double figures, shoot 48% from the field including 9-19 treys, and outrebounded the Shocks by 30-26 and only sent the Shocks to the FT line 3 times I would have assumed the Shocks had lost this game, maybe even lost it big.

But this is one tough group of young ladies and they did what they needed to do pull out the big win 69-61. The biggest thing I noticed was that the Shocks only made 6 turnovers while they forced SIU into 17 turnovers, 10 of those on steals. The Shocks had a 50-22 advantage on points in the paint, 23-2 advantage in points off turnovers and a 12-4 advantage in fast break points, not to mention that the Shocks shot 52.5% from the field despite making only 2-8 treys which would seem to indicate that perhaps our transition game was in high gear today.

As @oldtimewomen's hoopcoach pointed out Jaleesa Chapel may have had the best game of her career chipping in 8 points on 4-6 shooting, 2 rebounds, 1 block and 3 steals in 29 minutes of play. Let's hope that give Jalessa a huge boost in confidence. I have been waiting all year for her to break out. Let's hope this is it. Jaleesa was the only player on either team to provide bench scoring. I will say that SIU's athleticism probably made this game a better match-up for Jaleesa's skill set than for Alie's.

Alex played 40 minutes, Kelsey 39 minutes, Michaela 38 minutes and Jamillah 37 minutes. Those ladies should sleep very, very soundly tonight. Jody please make sure these Ladies get some extra Jacuzzi time this week.

Congrats Ladies. Well done indeed!

[1972Shocker]

With her 25 points today Alex Harden moved past Jennifer Kaczka into 2nd place on the all-time scoring list. She now trails #1 Allison Daniel by 79 points with a minimum of 6 games left in her career.

More notable for me, however, although this is a concoction of my own making, is that Alex also passed Angela Buckner for the player with the most combined career points + rebounds + assists + steals + blocks (I call it a Hall of Fame Combo Score). Alex now has a HOF Combo total of 2,963 edging past Angela Buckner who finished her great Shocker career with a HOF Combo Score of 2,956)

Details Can Be Found Here

[1972Shocker]

Final: Drake 76 - Indiana State 61

The Lady Shocks and Lady Bulldogs are now both sitting at the top of Valley play at 13-1 with 1st place on the line next Friday as Drake comes calling in Koch Arena.

[1972Shocker]

Southern Illinoisian - SIU Game Report

SIU Coach Cindy Stein quote:

"We lose and our kids are shaking hands, and their starters are bending over because they're gassed," she said. "They were going on all cylinders. Those kids can take pride in giving everything they had, and we don't have that yet. That's the difference between their team and our team."

Sounds like the Lady Shocks left it all on the court today. Kudos.

[oldtimewomen's hoopcoach]

Southern Illinoisian - SIU Game Report

SIU Coach Cindy Stein quote:



Sounds like the Lady Shocks left it all on the court today. Kudos.

When a team learns to play not for the coach, fans or family, but for themselves, they learn to not let each other down and give everything they have in the tank. No one can question the heart of these lionesses.

[oldtimewomen's hoopcoach]

Southern Illinoisian - SIU Game Report

SIU Coach Cindy Stein quote:



Sounds like the Lady Shocks left it all on the court today. Kudos.

That's the difference between their team and our team." That and we have All American and MVC POY, Alex Harden!

[1972Shocker]

That's the difference between their team and our team." That and we have All American and MVC POY, Alex Harden!

It is very possible that Friday's game may not only determine the regular season Valley Champion it also might determine the Valley POY which would seem to come down to the Shocker's Alex Harden and Drake's Lizzy Wendell.

Personally, I think Alex is clearly the best basketball player in the Valley. But so many voters just look at the scoring leaders and make their choice on that basis. Just look at last year when Valley voters inexplicably picked Drake's Kyndal Clark over Alex showing these voters aren't the sharpest tools in the shed.

Maybe Valley voters will realize they short-changed Alex last year and give her the nod this year just because she is a senior and Wendell is a sophomore and will probably win the award the next 2 years. Valley voting for post-season honors is often difficult to understand.

I am hoping Alex will make a statement in the Drake game and remove any and all doubt about who really is the best player in this league.

However, I'm sure Alex's goal is to simply lead her team to victory. Period.

[Shocker-maniac]

I know that next Saturday is a big day, but it sure would be awesome if lots of fans show up for the big showdown with Drake on Friday night.

[oldtimewomen's hoopcoach]

It is very possible that Friday's game may not only determine the regular season Valley Champion it also might determine the Valley POY which would seem to come down to the Shocker's Alex Harden and Drake's Lizzy Wendell.

Personally, I think Alex is clearly the best basketball player in the Valley. But so many voters just look at the scoring leaders and make their choice on that basis. Just look at last year when Valley voters inexplicably picked Drake's Kyndal Clark over Alex showing these voters aren't the sharpest tools in the shed.

Maybe Valley voters will realize they short-changed Alex last year and give her the nod this year just because she is a senior and Wendell is a sophomore and will probably win the award the next 2 years. Valley voting for post-season honors is often difficult to understand.

I am hoping Alex will make a statement in the Drake game and remove any and all doubt about who really is the best player in this league.

However, I'm sure Alex's goal is to simply lead her team to victory. Period.

Bingo! Alex is very unselfish and is all about winning. I don't have a clue who votes for all of the awards or the criteria, but it appears they don't always have true basketball knowledge, unless the criteria dictates top scorers = best players

[1972Shocker]

I don't have a clue who votes for all of the awards or the criteria

If your interested procedures for selecting the All-Conference Teams and Specialty Award winners can be found in the 2014-15 MVC Women's Basketball Procedures beginning with Section 6.3 on Page 12:

6.3.2a. Each coach may submit up to four names for consideration with statistics and supporting materials.

6.3.2b. The Conference Office shall compile and distribute a ballot of the athletes to be considered at the conclusion of the Conference season. All-games and Conference-only statistics and notes will be available.

6.3.2c. All-Conference balloting (including MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, Newcomer of the Year and Freshmen of the Year) shall include basketball coaches, SIDs and two media representatives per institution (selected by SID) and shall be weighted as follows: coaches x2, SIDs x1, media x1.

6.3.2d. All coaches and SIDs shall vote for ten athletes from teams other than their own in rank order (i.e. 1st = 10, 2nd = 9, ...10th = 1). Ties will be broken by using point system. Media may vote for any players.

6.3.2e. The athlete receiving the most points shall be named Player of the Year

[oldtimewomen's hoopcoach]

If your interested procedures for selecting the All-Conference Teams and Specialty Award winners can be found in the 2014-15 MVC Women's Basketball Procedures beginning with Section 6.3 on Page 12:

6.3.2a. Each coach may submit up to four names for consideration with statistics and supporting materials.

6.3.2b. The Conference Office shall compile and distribute a ballot of the athletes to be considered at the conclusion of the Conference season. All-games and Conference-only statistics and notes will be available.

6.3.2c. All-Conference balloting (including MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, Newcomer of the Year and Freshmen of the Year) shall include basketball coaches, SIDs and two media representatives per institution (selected by SID) and shall be weighted as follows: coaches x2, SIDs x1, media x1.

6.3.2d. All coaches and SIDs shall vote for ten athletes from teams other than their own in rank order (i.e. 1st = 10, 2nd = 9, ...10th = 1). Ties will be broken by using point system. Media may vote for any players.

6.3.2e. The athlete receiving the most points shall be named Player of the Year

Very informative. Thank you!