Northern Iowa vs. Akron and Illinois State vs. Northern Illinois
Women's Basketball Doubleheader
Moline, Illinois - The iWireless Center in Moline, Illinois, welcomes two Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) women's basketball teams, Illinois State and Northern Iowa, for a doubleheader against the Mid-American Conference (MAC) teams of Akron and Northern Illinois on Sunday, December 13, 2015.
As part of the MVC/MAC Challenge, the Northern Iowa Panthers take on the Akron Zips at 1:00 p.m. while the Illinois State Redbirds face the Northern Illinois Huskies at 3:30 p.m. Games are also be available live on ESPN3.
Tickets are just $7.00 for both games and all seats are general admission. Tickets are available at the iWireless Center box office, by phone at 800-745-3000, and online at www.ticketmaster.com. For more information, visit www.iwirelesscenter.com
The University of Northern Iowa and Illinois State University are each hosting pre-game alumni gatherings at the iWireless Center before their respective games.
Both Northern Iowa and Illinois State were originally slated to host Akron and Northern Illinois in their own venues, but agreed to move these previously scheduled home games to the iWireless Center to help create an Missouri Valley presence in the Quad Cities in advance of the upcoming MVC that will be played, for the first-time, at the iWireless Center on March 10-13, 2016.
**SPECIAL DISCOUNT** With your ticket stub from the December 13 games, 2 for 1 tickets can be purchased for the tournament in March at the iWireless Center box office. This offer expires on 12/31/15. Tickets for the MVC Women's Basketball Tournament go on sale on December 12.
"We are very excited about playing Akron in the iWireless Center," Northern Iowa Coach Tanya Warren said. "To have the opportunity to play there as part of the MVC/MAC Challenge is great for our players and fans. It serves as a preview for the Missouri Valley Conference tournament in March and we're honored to be a part of it."
"Being a part of the inaugural MVC/MAC Challenge is very exciting for Illinois State University. Our fans will get a sneak peak of what's in store for them come March. The iWireless Center will be a great venue to see what I think will be two very competitive games between the MVC and MAC Conferences. It will also be an electrifying MVC tournament atmosphere that our team and staff are really looking forward to being a part of," said Illinois State head coach Barb Smith.
About Northern Iowa
The Panthers finished last season with an overall record of 17-15 and a MVC record of 12-6 to place in the top-half of the conference for the sixth year in a row. UNI also appeared in its fifth postseason appearance in the last six years, hosting Missouri in the first round of the WNIT.
UNI has now had 17 or more wins in six consecutive seasons, all under the direction of head coach Tanya Warren. The Panthers will bring four starters back to the lineup during the 2015-16 season, along with MVC Sixth Player of the Year Stephanie Davison and 2014 MVC All-Conference first-team selection Jen Keitel coming back after an injury last season.
About Illinois State
Illinois State returns two starters and four letterwinners after recording a 2-28 overall record and a 2-16 Missouri Valley Conference record in 2015-16. Led by third-year head coach Barb Smith, the 2015-16 Redbirds also feature six newcomers. Included among ISU's returners is Octavia Crump, who averaged 10.6 points and 5.7 rebounds per game last season. Crump ranked seventh in MVC field goal shooting (47.1 percent) and eighth in offensive rebounding (2.3 per game).
About MVC Women's Basketball Tournament
Last July, the Missouri Valley Conference announced it had entered into an agreement with the Quad Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau to bring the MVC Women's Basketball Tournament to the iWireless Center through at least 2018. The MVC Presidents Council, following a recommendation of the league's Joint Committee, voted to place the tournament in the Quad Cities after considering bids from multiple sites.
Starting in 2016, the 10-team event will take place at the iWireless Center, March 10-13. The championship weekend begins with two opening-round games on Thursday. Four quarterfinal games will tip-off at noon on Friday, with the semifinals on Saturday afternoon and the championship title game on Sunday afternoon. All nine games will be available on ESPN3. www.mvcquadcities.com
About the iWireless Center
The iWireless Center is a 12,000-seat multi-purpose arena located in Moline, Ill. The arena has garnered numerous architectural industry awards since its construction. The facility opened in May 1993, under the name The MARK of the Quad Cities. The arena has hosted NCAA Division I college basketball games (including the Mid-Continent Conference men's basketball tournament from 1996-99) in addition to several NHL and NBA exhibition contests. www.iwirelesscenter.com
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