Women's Basketball Opens League Play Tomorrow Against Creighton
12/29/2001 | 12:00:00 | Women's Basketball
Dec. 29, 2001
Carbondale, Ill. - Southern Illinois University's women's basketball team opens its Missouri Valley Conference schedule tomorrow afternoon when the Salukis host Creighton at 2:05 p.m.
SIU, who was picked last in this year's MVC Preseason Poll, enters its league opener on a two-game losing streak after falling to both Winthrop (72-65) and Maryland Eastern Shore (62-59) at the Navy Classic Dec. 19-20.
Standing at 4-5 overall, the Salukis are led by junior guard Molly McDowell who is averaging 15.8 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. Senior point guard Holly Teague then follows with 13.8 points to go along with a team leading 5.3 assists, while Geshla Woodard rounds out the top three with 10.7 points and 7.7 boards.
In addition to the Dawgs' potent trio, sophomore Jodi Heiden has also been playing well as of late. Heiden, who averages 8.4 points and 7.6 rebounds per game, is coming off of back-to-back double-double outings which led her to All-Tournament Team honors at the Naval Academy Classic. Heiden had 16 points, 12 rebounds against Winthrop (12/19) before turning around to register 11 points, 11 rebounds against Maryland Eastern Shore (12/20).
Meanwhile, Creighton heads into conference play at full throttle after winning its last four of five games. Standing at 5-4 overall, the Bluejays are led by guards Dayna Finch and Christy Neneman. Finch leads the Jays with 11.8 points per game, while Neneman follows with 11.1. Additionally, Creighton was voted to finish sixth in this year's MVC preseason poll.
Pre-game Notes: Creighton leads the overall series against SIU, 15-9, Dating back to 1997, Creighton has won eight of its last nine games against the Salukis which includes a current two-game winning streak, SIU finished the 2000-01 campaign at 4-14 in the MVC, missing the league's postseason tournament for the first time since 1987-88, Creighton, on the other hand, finished fourth with a league mark of 11-7, SIU lost both times to Creighton last season by scores of 82-72 in Omaha, Neb., and 80-47 in Carbondale, Ill.