Southern Illinois University
4-10, 0-6MVC
Illinois St
4-11, 2-4MVC
Women's Basketball Falls to Illinois State, 65-56
01/23/2003 | 12:00:00 | Women's Basketball
Jan. 23, 2003
Carbondale, Ill. - Illinois State (4-11, 2-4) rallied behind 13 second half points by Taren O'Brien to overcome a 14-point deficit and beat Southern Illinois (4-10, 0-6) 65-56 earlier tonight at SIU Arena.
The loss marked SIU's seventh straight and eighth in its last nine games.
Molly McDowell scored seven points in 3:15 to ignite a 15-1 run early in the first half. Shooting 5-of-6 from the field and a perfect 3-of-3 from the free throw line, the native of Fillmore, Ill., would end up with 13 points in just 17 minutes of action.
Following the Saluki burst, ISU came alive to score the next seven points to make it a 15-8 game on a Katie Donovan layup with 12:15 remaining. Jaci McCormack (3) and Sharon Blade (2) also contributed to the attack.
After another layup by McDowell gave SIU a 19-8 advantage (10:36), the Redbirds used a 14-7 run to narrow the Saluki margin to 26-22 at the 5:57 mark. McCormack scored five points and Donovan added four to pace the surge which ended on a Blade jumper.
The four-point lead would quickly turn to eight thanks to a Dana Pinkston jumper and a Katie Berwanger layup.
Ahead 30-22 with 4:35 to go, both teams then went scoreless for the next 3:48 before the Dawgs scored four more points to take a 34-26 lead into the locker room.
ISU missed both its first and last six shots of the first half, but remained in the game despite shooting 28.6 percent (10-of-35) from the field. The Redbirds were also out-rebounded 24-14.
After SIU took a 37-26 lead on a McDowell three-pointer in the second half, O'Brien hit two free throws and a driving layup to fuel a 10-3 ISU run, as the Redbirds began their comeback.
Trailing 40-36 (13:33) following the run, SIU regained a 42-36 lead, but McDowell was suddenly whistled for her fourth foul two and a half minutes later.
A Stacey White basket and two Blade free throws then narrowed the Saluki margin to 44-42 with 9:46 left.
Jodi Heiden came back with a three-pointer, but Zora Skrabalova scored inside, and both White and O'Brien made two free throws apiece to give the 'Birds their first lead since the 19:12 mark (1-0) of the first half.
With 6:46 left on the clock, McDowell was put back in the game at the point. Following her return, both teams exchanged baskets and SIU led 52-51 after a Pinkston jumper.
But the Redbirds went on a 9-0 run sparked by five more O'Brien points and a key three-pointer by Erin Keeney (1:34) to seal the impressive 65-58 win.
SIU didn't score a field goal in the last 5:17 of the game. While the Salukis were cold from the field, ISU was boiling at the foul line, where it at one time, made 15 straight free throws. The Redbirds also outscored SIU 39-22 in the second half and held the Salukis to just 7-of-30 (.233) field goals.
The Dawgs were led by McDowell who scored 22 points. Shooting a perfect 7-of-7 from the free throw line, McDowell surpassed 300 career free throws made. Her career mark of 304 free throws ranks second behind Char Warring (1980-84) who made 326.
Heiden and Berwanger each followed with 10 points.
The Redbirds were led by O'Brien's 13 points. Six of her points came at the free throw line, where ISU shot 19-of-24 to SIU's 8-of-9. Skrabalova also added 10 points off the bench to help pace the 'Birds.
"Look at the shooting percentage in the second half and look at the free throws, and I think they both tell the story," said head coach Lori Opp. "We didn't do what we needed to get to the line and we went stone cold shooting in the second half. I thought we got a lot of good looks, but the shots just weren't falling."
SIU remains at home to host red-hot Indiana State (12-3, 5-1) who currently ranks second in the Valley. The Salukis and Sycamores will tip off at 4:05 p.m.
