Southern Illinois University
0-1
DePaul
1-0
Women's Basketball Falls to DePaul, 69-60
11/23/2002 | 12:00:00 | Women's Basketball
Nov. 23, 2002
Carbondale, Ill. - DePaul University (1-0) used a 9-0 run in the last 3:11 of the game to post a 69-60 come-from-behind win over Southern Illinois (0-1) earlier tonight in both teams' season opener at SIU Arena.
Sophomore guard Jenni Dant scored seven of the nine points to ignite the run, as the Blue Demons overcame a 16-point deficit en route to winning their fourth straight over the Salukis.
It was a game full of runs, and unfortunately for the Dawgs, DePaul had more.
SIU opened the first half with a 21-7 run sparked by nine Molly McDowell points as DePaul turned the ball over 15 times in the first 12:03 of the game.
Up by 14, a layup by Katie Berwanger then pushed the Dawgs' lead to 26-10 at the 6:08 mark.
DePaul, who hit just 7-of-26 (.269) from the field in the opening stanza, answered with a 10-5 run to cut the Saluki lead to 31-20 at the break.
The Blue Demons capitalized on 11 Saluki turnovers in the first 9:28 of the second half to take their first lead of the game on a Dant jumper with 10:32 left to play. Up 43-42, both teams then battled to a 60-60 tie before Dant took over.
Deadlocked at 60-60, Dant hit a bunny with 2:00 on the clock. Fourty-four seconds later, Jamie Smith connected on a jumper. Dant then hit a pair of free throws with 13 seconds left. Six ticks later, Dant was fouled by Megan Miller on a layup which found the bottom of the net. One final Dant free throw (:07), and just like that, the Blue Demons rallied to a 69-60 win.
Dant shot 5-of-9 from the field and a perfect 8-of-8 from the free throw line as she led the Blue Demons with 18 points. Khara Smith also posted a double-double 18 points and 14 rebounds to help lead DePaul.
McDowell led all Saluki scorers with 15 points, while Dana Pinkston followed with 12. McDowell hit 6-of-11 field goals and 2-of-2 free throws, while Pinkston went 4-of-11, including 3-of-7 from three-point range. Pinkston, who was shaky in her Saluki debut at the point guard spot, also turned the ball over 10 times.
Smith (13) and Sarah Kustok (14) combined for 27 of DePaul's boards as the Blue Demons out-rebounded the Salukis 40-27. Both SIU (30) and DePaul (29) also joined forces for a stunning 59 turnovers in the game.
"In the first half, we were playing pretty good together and had an opportunity to attempt to put them away," said head coach Lori Opp. "DePaul is a good team and I don't want to take anything away from them. We knew they were going to come back and that's what we told our kids - that they're gonna come back and they're going to make a run, it's just going to be the team that has the last run that gets the "W" and unfortunately that was DePaul."
SIU will return to action on Monday, Nov. 25, at Kentucky (6 p.m.).
