Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Women's Basketball Plays at Indiana State Friday
01/15/2004 | 12:00:00 | Women's Basketball
Jan. 15, 2004
By Jeff Honza
www.SIUSalukis.com
CARBONDALE, Ill.-- After opening Missouri Valley Conference action with three straight home games, Southern Illinois (2-10, 1-2) plays its first league matchup on the road at Indiana State (8-5, 2-2) Friday. Tip off is at 7 p.m., CST.
SIU looks to extend its winning streak to two games Friday against ISU. Following their 65-62 win over Evansville (1/10) on MVC-TV, the Salukis moved to seventh in the league standings. Meanwhile, ISU occupies the fifth-place spot.
The Salukis' biggest story as of late, has been junior transfer Daphney Desamours. A native of Miami, Fla., Desamours recently earned a spot in the starting lineup and has dominated ever since. Last week against Creighton (1/5) and Evansville (1/10), she shot a combined 12-of-21 (.571) from the field, including 2-of-3 from behind the three-point arc en route to a total of 29 points in her only two starts of the season.
ISU, the 2003 Missouri Valley Conference Champion, returns home after suffering back-to-back losses at Creighton and Drake. The Sycamores enter tomorrow's matchup averaging a MVC second-best 75.9 points per game. Three of Indiana State's five starters are averaging double figures, including senior forward/center Erin Rhodes who tops the Trees with 15.5 points per game. ISU has also been solid on the defensive end, where it is averaging a league-leading 12.7 steals per game.
ISU holds a 37-22 lead over SIU in a series which dates back to1969. Since 2001, the Sycamores have posted seven consecutive wins over the Salukis, including three at the Hulman Center. SIU hasn't won a game in Terre Haute since Dec. 29, 1999, when Julie Beck's Dawgs posted a 64-62 victory.
