Southern Illinoise University Athletics
SIU Women's Basketball Showcases Talent in Scrimmage
10/22/2001 | 12:00:00 | Women's Basketball
Oct. 22, 2001
Carbondale, Ill. - With a little over two weeks away from its first exhibition game, the Southern Illinois University women's basketball team had the opportunity to showcase its talent Saturday when the Salukis hosted an intrasquad scrimmage at Davies Gym.
The scrimmage, which was one of several events that took place in the school's Almost Late Night festivities, featured the returning tandem of guards in junior Molly McDowell and senior Holly Teague. Last season, Teague marked the first SIU women's basketball player to garner MVC Newcomer-of-the-Year honors since 1995. Meanwhile, McDowell finished second on the team in scoring with an average of 12.3 points per game. In addition, she is coming off a pair of preseason shoulder surgeries.
While the Salukis appear to boast their same look in the backcourt from a year ago, one thing that will differ this season is their appearance on the sidelines. Lori Opp, who enters her second year at the helm, will be joined by three full-time assistant coaches for the first time in school history. Alex Wellmaker, who enters his second year with the Saluki staff, is joined by first-year coaches Carl Clayton and Tricia Floyd. Clayton, a former SIU grad, comes to the Maroon and White following a two-year stint at Blackburn College, while Floyd comes to Saluki Country after serving as head coach at Odessa Junior College.
"With seven new faces between the staff and team, we will work hard to mesh personalities and philosophies this season," said Opp. "With the right combination of fundamentals, chemistry and conditioning, I feel that we should be successful."
Rounding out this year's squad are senior Geshla Woodard, juniors Hillary Phillips, Danielle Lawary, Megan Miller and Katie Berwanger, sophomores Jodi Heiden, Tiffany Crutcher and Angela Tolbert, and freshmen Christine Perry, Danette Jones and Wendy Goodman.
