Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Women's Basketball Begins Three-Game Homestand Thursday
01/22/2003 | 12:00:00 | Women's Basketball
Jan. 22, 2003
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Salukis Return Home for Three-Game Stand
Southern Illinois (4-9, 0-5) returns home for three straight games beginning Thursday, Jan. 23 when it hosts Illinois State (3-11, 1-4). The Salukis and Redbirds will tip off at 7:05 p.m.
Series History
SIU holds a slight 39-38 advantage in its overall series with Illinois State. The Salukis' 39 wins rank as the most against any of their opponents faced in school history.
Thanks for Visiting
The visiting team won both games to force a split in last year's two-game set between SIU and Illinois State. ISU won 69-67 on Jan. 20 in Carbondale and SIU won 64-51 on Feb. 17 in Normal.
Opp and Yopp
Lori Opp (Western Illinois, '88) is 17-50 in her third year as head coach at Southern Illinois. Jenny Yopp is 21-73 in her fourth season at Illinois State. Both Opp (Western Illinois) and Yopp (North Carolina) were also standout players prior to their coaching careers.
About the Salukis
Mired in a six-game losing streak, SIU enters Thursday's contest in last place in the Valley at 4-9, 0-5. The Salukis, who haven't won a game in over a month, are led by senior guard Molly McDowell who averages 12.2 points per game, including 10.2 against league foes. McDowell also tops the Dawgs in three-point percentage (.340), free throw percentage (.935), assists (48), blocks (12) and steals (27). Junior point guard Dana Pinkston follows with 8.0 points per game, but is scoring 10.0 in MVC contests.
About the Redbirds
Illinois State has lost nine of its last 11 games, but is coming off a recent 58-54 upset over SMS on Jan. 16. At ninth-place in the Valley with a 3-11, 1-4 mark, the Redbirds, like the Salukis, sport just one player averaging in double figures. Junior guard Taren O'Brien is scoring 10.4 points and dishing out 3.2 assists to pace the 'Birds.
Crutcher Missed
Ever since junior center Tiffany Crutcher has been hobbled by a sprained foot, SIU's inside game has taken a hit. The Salukis have been out-rebounded 97-73 in their last two games, and most recently, were outscored 54-15 inside the paint against Drake (1/18). SIU also came up empty on second chance points (20-0) against Creighton (1/16).
Seeing Double
Hillary Phillips led SIU with 12 points in its 69-54 loss to Creighton (1/16). Phillips shot 4-of-7 from the field, including a perfect 2-of-2 from behind the three-point arc. She also hit 2-of-4 free throws, dished out one assist and had three steals. Phillips' double-digit outing marked her second of the season.
Bombs Away
Five different Salukis hit three-pointers in the first half against Drake this past week. Molly McDowell led the charge with a pair of treys, while Dana Pinkston, Chris Perry, Danette Jones and Megan Miller each had one. SIU shot 6-of-21 from three-point land against the Bulldogs, and as a result, tied a second-best on the season.
How May I Assist You?
Molly McDowell's two dishes against Drake put her at 300 assists in her career. Averaging 3.7 dishes per game, McDowell leads the Salukis with 48 assists this season. In addition, her career-total ranks as the most among active career leaders in the Missouri Valley Conference. Wichita State's Raeven King (236) and Tisharria Huggins (220) also list in that category.
Better off the Bench?
Since Tiffany Crutcher went down with a sprained foot, junior Jodi Heiden has started in her place. In four starts, Heiden has been held to nearly six points per game. However, prior to her starting role, Heiden averaged 8.8 points a game off the bench. She also posted double figures in four of her nine games as a reserve and registered a pair of double-doubles.
Point Driven
SIU hasn't led an opponent in a game since Jan. 5, when it hosted Wichita State. At that time, the Salukis held a 16-15 lead with 11:37 left in the first half. Since then, the Dawgs have trailed from the opening tip to the final buzzer in their last three games.
Frigid Field
SIU shot a season-low of 20 percent (12-of-59) last Saturday against Drake. The Salukis, who suffered their worst loss of the season (76-46), hit just 4-of-28 field goals in the second half. Additionally, the Dawgs were out-rebounded 53-37 and at one time, missed 16 straight shots.
Approach the Bench
For the second time this season, the SIU reserves outscored the Saluki starters last Saturday against Drake. The Saluki bench contributed 26 points to the veterans' 20 against the Bulldogs. Prior to that, Jodi Heiden (14) and Danette Jones (14) combined for 28 points which outweighed the starters' 26 against SMS (1/3).
League Lumps
In Lori Opp's three years as head coach, SIU has won just six Missouri Valley Conference games. Sporting a rough 6-35 mark, the Salukis have also gone the last two years without making the league's postseason tournament.
Charitable Contribution
Molly McDowell is approaching 300 career free throws made and should hit that mark in the Salukis' two games this week. McDowell, who ranks second in the Valley with a .935 (43-of-36) free throw percentage this season, has knocked down 297-of-356 (.834) free throws in her career.
