Women's Basketball to Face League Favorite Drake
12/31/2001 | 12:00:00 | Women's Basketball
Dec. 31, 2001
Carbondale, Ill. - Southern Illinois University's women's basketball team will continue its three-game homestand tomorrow afternoon when the Salukis host league favorite Drake at 2:05 p.m.
Drake, who stands at 7-3, 1-0 (MVC) on the season, was a unanimous pick to win the Valley this year after getting all 37 first place votes in the league's preseason poll.
Currently on a three-game losing streak, Southern Illinois enters tomorrow's contest with an overall record of 4-6 and 0-1 in the MVC. SIU recently suffered a 71-63 loss in their conference opener against Creighton on Sunday which marked the Dawgs' first loss at home this season.
Leading all Saluki scorers is junior Molly McDowell who is averaging 15.3 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. McDowell, however, will be questionable for Tuesday's game after suffering a knee injury which limited her to just 24 minutes against the Bluejays. The extent of her injury is undetermined at this time. Following close behind McDowell, are seniors Holly Teague and Geshla Woodard. Teague is averaging 13.5 points as the team's assists leader dishing out 4.9 a game, while Woodard is pitching in 11.2 points to go along with a second best 7.7 boards.
Meanwhile, Drake heads into tomorrow's matchup on a three-game winning streak after beating Evansville by a score of 67-60 on Sunday. The Bulldogs sport an abundance of experience as four of their five starters are seniors. Led by junior All-American candidate Carla Bennett (C) who is averaging 15.3 points and 6.9 rebounds per game, Drake has three others posting double figures as well. Seniors Jayme Anderson (11.6 ppg), Stephanie Schmitz (11.8 ppg) and Erin Richards (11.3 ppg) are the remaining three who round out the patented foursome.
Drake holds a commanding 30-20 lead in the overalll series against SIU which dates back to 1980. Since 1997, however, the Bulldogs have strung together an 11-game winning streak against the Dawgs which currently stands to date.
Pre-Game Notes: Molly McDowell is questionable for Tuesday's game after a knee injury limited her to just 24 minutes against Creighton, Geshla Woodard has scored 16 points in two of the Salukis' last three games, Drake's head coach Lisa Stone has compiled an impressive 30-10 record in a little over a year at the helm of the Bulldog women's basketball program, Jodi Heiden has pulled down 11 or more rebounds in each of SIU's last three games, Freshman Danette Jones is coming off a season-high 10 points against Creighton which included a perfect 2-of-2 from three-point range.