Southern Illinois University
SMU
SIU Drops Third Straight Falling to SMU
03/20/2001 | 12:00:00 | Women's Basketball
December 1, 2000
Dallas, Texas -
Senior guard D-dra Rucker scored 16 first half points and 25 for the game to lead Southern Methodist University (3-2) to a 86-80 win over Southern Illinois University Carbondale Friday at the SMU Hoops for Cure Women's Basketball Classic.
The win marked the third game in a row the Salukis have dropped by seven or less points this season.
Rucker was seemingly unstoppable in the opening stanza as she connected on 7-of-12 from the field and 2-of-2 from the free throw line.
SMU built a 16-11 lead (13:14) to open the first half before both teams went scoreless for the next 3:35. A layup by Angela Tolbert then broke the drought at the 10:49 mark as SIU cut the deficit to 16-13. Following Tolbert's layup, both teams battled to a 21-21 tie before the Mustangs put together an 8-0 run which was capped off by a Rucker foul shot that put SMU up 29-21. The Salukis then pulled to within four (31-27) with 2:59 to go on a layup by Danielle Lawary before the Mustangs built another run, this time 10-4, which sent the Dawgs into the locker room down 41-31.
With the score at 57-52 in SMU's favor with 12:34 in the second half, Holly Teague rained in two three pointers which gave the Salukis an 8-4 boost to pull within one, 61-60 with 9:34 to play. One minute and seven seconds later, Molly McDowell then hit a big three-pointer which gave the Salukis their first lead of the game (65-64) at the 8:27 mark. The Mustangs then went up seven (84-77) with 39 seconds to play before McDowell connnected on another trey to cut the lead to 84-80 (:33). Two free throws by an iced Jackee' Brown, who came in off the bench gave SMU some breathing room with an 86-80 lead with 28 seconds left. But, with a chance to pull within three, McDowell missed on a three-point opportunity which ended the game at 86-80.
Four Salukis posted double figures as SIU fell to 1-3 on the year. McDowell led all SIU scorers with 16 points while Teague had 13 and both Hathaway and Heiden each chipped in 11. The Salukis shot 44 percent from the field for the game and a season high 58 percent (7-of-12) from three-point land.
SIU will conclude play in the SMU Hoops for Cure Women's Basketball Classic Saturday, Dec. 2, when the Salukis take on Arkansas Pine Bluff in the consolation game at 5 p.m.
