Women's Basketball Hosts Southern Mississippi Tuesday
12/15/2003 | 12:00:00 | Women's Basketball
Dec. 15, 2003
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By Jeff Honza
www.SIUSalukis.com
CARBONDALE, Ill.-- After opening its season with six straight games on the road, Southern Illinois (0-6) plays its first home game of the year Tuesday when Southern Mississippi (7-0) visits SIU Arena. Tip off is at 7:05 p.m., as the meeting marks the first between both teams.
Southern Mississippi marks the third opponent from Conference USA that SIU faces this season. Following Tuesday's matchup, the Salukis play one other Conference USA foe on Dec. 29, when they travel to Saint Louis. So far this year, the Dawgs are 0-2 against Conference USA schools after losing to UAB, 85-72, on Nov. 29 and DePaul, 102-57, on Dec. 14.
While SIU has played all of its games on the road this season, Southern Mississippi has played all of its contests at home. Sporting a perfect 7-0 mark and off to their best start since 1994-95, the Golden Eagles enter their first road game coming off a recent 74-51 win over Sam Houston State (12/13). Freshmen Deondra Carter (G/F) and Michelle Poindexter (F/C) lead all Southern Mississippi scorers this season. Carter averages 13.6 points per game, while Poindexter follows with 9.9. As a team, the Golden Eagles are pinning opponents to just 46.6 points per contest.
SIU, who has lost 10 straight games dating back to the end of the 2002-03 season, is still searching for its first win of the season. Recently suffering its second worst loss in school history at DePaul (12/14), the Dawgs head into Tuesday's game led by junior guard/forward Danette Jones. Jones, who has led SIU all season long, is averaging 11.3 points per game. Senior forward Katie Berwanger follows with 9.5 points and a team-leading 9.5 rebounds. Berwanger led all Saluki scorers with 10 points and 13 rebounds against the Blue Demons, and as a result, picked up her second double-double of the season.
In addition to searching for its first win, SIU will also look to build an early lead against Southern Mississippi. In four of SIU's first six games, the Salukis have trailed by at least 10 points at the half and never recovered. On the year, SIU is being outscored, 241-162, in the first half and 247-212 in the second. The Dawgs also have yet to lead an opponent in a half of basketball this season.