Game Preview: Chicago State vs. SIUE

Series History vs. SIUE

Record: SIUE 7, Chicago State 1
Last Meeting: Dec. 8, 2018 (SIUE 82, Chicago State 66)
Last Win: Dec. 2, 2008 (Chicago State 69, SIUE 56)

Storylines:

• Welcome Back: 21 days since their last game, the Chicago State Cougars return to action against their third in-state rival: Southern Illinois-Edwardsville.
• McBeast: In her Division I debut season, Nadia Thorman-McKey (Evanston, IL/Evanston Township) has powered Chicago State's offense. After pouring in a team-high 19 points on 9-of-16 shooting on November 28 vs. Loyola-Chicago, the Evanston, Illinois native tallied 18 points against DePaul's dynamic defense. Through two games, Thor- man-McKey is shooting a team-high 54.8% from the field and logging 37.5 minutes per game, which leads the Cougars.
• Croatian Sensation: Through just two games, Dubrovnik, Croativa-native Ana Haklicka (Dubrovnik, Croatia/Touristic and Catering School ) has asserted herself as the Cougars' floor general. The first-year point guard played 39 minutes in the team's opener on Saturday and scored 13 points in each of the first two games. Her eight assists also lead the Cougars.
• Tres for Segues: In each of Chicago State's first two games, freshman Laura Segues (Castelloli, Spain) drilled four three-pointers. The Castelloli´, Spain-native scored 10 points in Monday's matchup aginst DePaul.
• Glass-Cleaners: Chicago State has dominated the offensive glass to start 2020, grabbing 27 offensive rebounds, compared to 21 for opponents. Junior Christina Britter (Dunlap, IL/Dunlap ) snared four offensive boards in the Cougars' season-opener against Loyola-Chicago.
• Sweater Champ: Coach Tiffany Sardin was named winner of "Best Ugly Sweater" at the Chicago State Athletic Department's Zoom holiday party. Sardin's sweater included a full light show, dazzling the staff.

Ifunanya Okoye Eligible to Play

Ifunanya Okoye (Lagos, Nigeria /Banner Christian School), a junior transfer from Virginia Union, will be eligible to play immediately based on an NCAA Division I Council vote December 16 which grants a blanket waiver to allow all Division I transfers to play this year.

Okoye, a native of Lagos, Nigeria, averaged 10.2 points per game and 6.8 rebounds per game for Virginia Union during the 2019-20 season.

The 5-foot-10 forward helped the Panthers to a 51-7 record over her two years in Richmond, Virginia, including an impres- sive 22-1 record at home and the CIAA title in 2019. In the title-clinching game, Okoye scored a season-best 31 points, including a school-record tying 19 free throws made, and contributed 13 rebounds in a 66-49 win over Virginia State.

Okoye attended Banner Christian School in Chesterfield, Virginia. As a senior she led the varsity team – just the second in school history — to a record of 23-4. She averaged a double-double with 20.7 points per game and 13.1 rebounds per game and was a first-team all-conference selection, con- ference tournament MVP and a first-team all-state selection.

Complete Chicago State Game Notes

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