NORMAL - Nobody can say the Illinois State women's basketball team is trying to back its way into a Missouri Valley Conference title. | MVC women's scores, stats

The league-leading Redbirds will begin a critical four-game stretch to end the regular season with the always-tough road trip to Creighton and Drake. The Bluejays and Bulldogs are tied for third place.

ISU (22-3, 12-2) visits Creighton (16-9, 9-5) at 7:30 p.m. tonight and Drake (16-9, 9-5) at 2:30 p.m. Sunday. Both games will be televised on Fox Sports Midwest and Comcast Sportsnet Chicago.

The Redbirds return home next week to face Southern Illinois and second-place Evansville ahead of the March 13-16 Valley Tournament in St. Charles, Mo.

"From a coach's standpoint, I look forward to the challenge these next few weeks," said ISU coach Robin Pingeton. "I like the fact we're playing three out of the top four teams in our league.

"It really challenges our kids to get locked in and get some momentum going into that conference tournament."

Creighton has won two straight over ISU, including a 75-71 decision at Redbird Arena on Feb. 2 that snapped a 14-game Redbird winning streak. Freshman Kelsey Woodard had a game-high 20 points to lead the Bluejays.

"We know we're going to get their best effort," said Creighton coach Jim Flanery. "Offensively they're the best team in the league. The have the most weapons and the best player (Kristi Cirone)."

Cirone, the Valley's reigning Player of the Year, averages a team-high 16.2 points although she was held to eight in the first meeting. ISU has used a balanced attack to rank sixth nationally in scoring offense (78.5).

"They have a lot of good players besides Cirone," Flanery said. "We thought we did a good job on (Maggie) Krick the last time because she didn't have any threes and she ended up with 17 points.

"They get more easy baskets than anyone in the league because Cirone is so good in transition. We've got to get back and limit those easy baskets."

Creighton, coming off a surprising 52-51 road loss to ninth-place Bradley, has won seven of its last nine. Senior Sara Cain (10.5) is the lone Bluejay scoring in double figures.

"Creighton did a lot of things well against us," Pingeton said. "We have to defend harder. One of our biggest challenges has been containing dribble penetration. I think we're getting better."

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ISU women vs. Creighton

When: 7:30 p.m. today

Where: Omaha Civic Auditorium, Omaha, Neb.

Records: Illinois State 22-3, 12-2; Creighton 16-9, 9-5

Television: Fox Sports Midwest, Comcast Sportsnet Chicago

Radio: WJBC-AM (1230)