Published: November 02, 2009 12:29 am         

ISU women’s basketball's youngsters pick up where they left off

Sophomores lead way in exhibition victory over D-II Bellarmine

TERRE HAUTE — Sophomore guards Deja Mattox and Brittany Schoen both showed they’re ready to build upon solid freshman campaigns in Sunday’s exhibition opener for the Indiana State women’s basketball team.

Schoen had 17 points and four assists in 25 minutes and Mattox added 15 points in 22 minutes, leading an efficient Sycamore offense in a 82-54 victory over an inexperienced Division II Bellarmine team.

Schoen, who became a team leader when Kelsey Luna went down with a knee injury late last season, picked up right where she left off, knocking down 5 of her 7 3-point attempts.

“Coming out, I missed two right off the bat … you always have to keep shooting,” said Schoen, who also had four assists and no turnovers.

Mattox, who had her freshman year truncated after a knee injury, wasted no time getting back to form. The 6-foot guard flashed the diversity of her game Sunday. In the early minutes, Mattox tracked down her own missed 3-point attempt and set up Kelsie Cooley for an open shot. She also finished off a dribble drive; knocked down a 3-pointer on one of Sarah Paul’s four assists; and early in the second half scored on a flex cut in the paint to put ISU ahead 49-31.

“[The knee] feels good. I don’t think about it anymore. As the game went on, I just got more comfortable,” Mattox said. “Everyone was in there being unselfish so that was good. I feel like chemistry-wise we’re even closer than last year.”

A preseason first-team All-Missouri Valley Conference pick, Luna had nine points and five assists on 3-for-5 shooting from the field.

“I thought that she passed up some shots. I don’t know if that was by design or not,” ISU coach Jim Wiedie said. “It’s nice to have a 32-point win and Luna only has to play 21 minutes and score nine points. I don’t think you’re going to see many games like that this year, but it would be a nice problem to have if that’s the case.

“She does such a great job of running the team.”

Luna and freshman point guard Taylor Whitley led the Sycamores with three steals each. Illinois transfer Chelsea Buher added two swipes as the Sycamores finished with 12 takeaways and 21 forced turnovers.

ISU held Bellarmine to 33.3-percent field goal shooting, using several different types of defenses. With Mattox, Buher and 6-3 freshman Moriah Hodge, the Sycamores will have at least three players with long arms who can can clog passing lanes, whether they’re on the perimeter or in the paint. Hodge and Buher also had one blocked shot apiece Sunday.

“We’ve got multiple kids we can put at multiple positions. It’s the biggest team we’ve had in a long time,” Wiedie said.

Aside from occassional defensive lapses, Wiedie was pleased with the overall performance.

“The only thing I was a little disappointed in was our transition defense. [The Knights] took advantage of that some in the first half,” Wiedie said. “I forget how inexperienced they are at times. The sophomores, even though they played quite a bit, are only in their second year in college basketball.”

• • •

• Smith plays well in debut — Freshman guard Krista Smith, a walk-on from Terre Haute South, had a strong college debut.

Smith got out in the passing lane for a steal and converted the layup shortly after making her first appearance with about seven minutes remaining. Smith was also rewarded for running the floor on the fast break, receiving a bounce pass from Paul for another layup and from Laurence Rivest on a break opportunity.

“She’s so physically strong and she’s out there and getting after you,” Wiedie said. “Transition is her strength, getting out in the open floor. We got good production from her in her first college game, and she’ll continue to get better.”

• Rademacher on crutches — Andrea Rademacher was in street clothes and on crutches Sunday. The 6-3 freshman said she landed awkwardly on her foot in a recent scrimmage.

She will undergo an MRI today.