Women's Basketball Continues Road Trip Thursday at Tennessee-Martin
11/28/2001 | 12:00:00 | Women's Basketball
Nov. 28, 2001
Carbondale, Ill. - Southern Illinois University's women's basketball team continues its three-game road trip tomorrow when the Salukis visit the University of Tennessee-Martin at 5:30 p.m.
SIU holds a 6-5 series lead over Tennessee-Martin as the overall series dates back to 1973. The Salukis defeated the Skyhawks by a score of 74-67 in last year's duel which marked SIU's second straight win over UTM. In addition, the win also marked the Salukis' sixth win in their last seven games against the Skyhawks.
Southern Illinois stands at 1-2 on the season after falling to Southeast Missouri State last Saturday. The Salukis are led by senior guard Holly Teague who is averaging 15.7 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. Teague is coming off a career-high 22 points which included 4-of-7 against the Otahkians. She is joined by junior forward Molly McDowell who has posted back-to-back double figure scoring performances after missing the team's season opener with a mild concussion. McDowell is averaging 13.5 points and 4.0 rebounds.
Under the direction of co-head coaches Gary and Kim Van Atta, Tennessee-Martin enters Thursday's game currently on a four-game losing skid after Tuesday's 86-67 loss to Evansville. Standing at 1-4 on the year, the Skyhawks are led by junior guard Amy Watson who is averaging 9.2 points and 2.2 rebounds per game. Senior guard Kelly Pendleton then follows with an average of 9.0 points and 2.8 boards. Interestingly enough, UTM doesn't have one player on this year's roster averaging double figures in points after the first five games.
Pre-Game Notes: Thursday's game marks the second of five consecutive games against Ohio Valley Conference opponents, SIU is 101-26 all-time against OVC schools, After missing the last five to six weeks due to pneumonia, junior forward Danielle Lawary has returned to full activity and will suit up for tomorrow's game at Tennessee-Martin, Standing at 0-2 away from home on the young 2001-02 season, SIU will look to pick up its first road win against UTM. So far, the road hasn't been too kind to SIU as the Salukis are being outscored, 169-117, and outrebounded, 93-75, After scoring a career-high 17 points against Saint Louis (11/19), Holly Teague set another career mark last week with a 22-point effort against Southeast Missouri State. Teague knocked down a sizzling 9-of-18 from the field, including 4-of-7 three-pointers, After scoring just two points in her only start of the season at Nebraska (11/16), sophomore Jodi Heiden may return to the starting lineup after being a force to reckon with off the bench in the Salukis' last two games. Since being pulled from the starting five, Heiden has shot 7-of-17 from the field and a perfect 6-of-6 from the free throw line, while averaging 10.5 points in 31.4 minutes, Junior transfer Hillary Phillips may miss her first start of the season this week after shooting an ice cold 0-of-9 from the field in the Salukis' first three games. Phillips, who has only scored one point on the year, was limited to just 19 minutes last week after playing 31 in each of SIU's first two contests.