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Women's
Basketball
Hudson
Pours in Career High As Redbirds Cruise Past Eastern Michigan
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[December 03, 2007]
YPSILANTI, Mich. -- Senior guard
Tiffany Hudson led all scorers with a career-high 24 points as
Illinois State (6-1) cruised to a 79-61 road victory over Eastern
Michigan (4-3) on Sunday. For the second consecutive game, the
Redbirds led from wire to wire to achieve their best start to a
season since 1976-77.
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 Hudson scored 12 points in each half and finished 10-for-16 from the
field, both career-best marks. She tied her career high with four
3-pointers and has set or tied her career high in points for the
fourth time this season. Junior guard Kristi Cirone joined her
backcourt mate with 20 points on 9-for-12 shooting, and she added
six assists. Sophomore forward Ashleen Bracey was just a rebound shy
of her second consecutive double-double, with 14 points and nine
boards. Sophomore guard Maggie Krick contributed six rebounds and
six assists.The Redbirds jumped out to a 7-0 lead with baskets on
their first three possessions, led by five points from Hudson. After
consecutive Eagle baskets, ISU rattled off another seven unanswered
to go ahead by nine, 14-5, at the 15:53 mark. A layup by Cirone at
12:04 gave the Redbirds their first double-digit lead of the game,
23-13.
After Eastern Michigan cut the deficit to five points with nine
minutes remaining in the first half, the Redbirds opened up a 17-9
run to close out the period and take a 42-29 lead into the locker
room at halftime. ISU shot a sizzling 59.4 (19-32) percent from the
field in the first half, its best shooting percentage in the opening
frame this season.
[to top of second column]
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Hudson continued her strong play into the second half as she made
three consecutive baskets to help the Redbirds build an 18-point
lead, 52-34. The Redbirds maintained a comfortable cushion
throughout the second half, never letting the Eagles any closer than
13 points. A jumper by freshman guard Shala Jackson put ISU ahead by
20 points for the first time, 71-50, and a free throw by freshman
guard Amanda Clifton gave the 'Birds their biggest lead of the
contest, 77-54, with just under three minutes left in the contest.
ISU led by double figures for the final 22:38 of the game.
Eastern Michigan relied heavily on the 3-pointer as five of its
11 field goals in the first half were from beyond the arc. They
struggled shooting the 3 in the second half, making just three from
long range. Guard Alyssa Pittman made all five first-half 3-pointers
and led the Eagles with 17 points at the break but was held to just
five points on 1-of-6 shooting from the field in the second half.
Illinois State continues its road trip with a game at Ball State
(3-4) on Tuesday at 6:05 p.m. CST.
(Box score)
[To download Adobe Acrobat Reader for
the PDF file, click
here.]
[Text from file received from Jimmy Knodel,
assistant media relations director,
Illinois
State University]
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