Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Women's Basketball to Host League-Leading SMS Saturday
01/23/2004 | 12:00:00 | Women's Basketball
Jan. 23, 2004
By Jeff Honza
www.SIUSalukis.com
CARBONDALE, Ill.-- Currently on a three-game losing streak, Southern Illinois (2-13, 1-5) remains home to host first-place Southwest Missouri State (14-1, 5-0) on Saturday, Jan. 24. Tip off is at 2:05 p.m.
Currently on a three-game losing streak, including a recent 75-67 loss to Wichita State (1/22), SIU looks to snap the Lady Bears' blazing 12-game winning streak.
Averaging just 58.2 points as a team, the Salukis are led by junior forward Danette Jones (9.4 ppg), who is coming off a 16-point effort against the Shockers. A native of Salem, Ill., Jones has scored 16 or more points on five occasions this season.
Meanwhile, the Lady Bears are off to a perfect 5-0 start in league play, and bring an overall 14-1 record, a flawless 4-0 mark on the road and a 12-game winning streak to Carbondale this weekend. Also getting 19 votes in the USA Today/ESPN/WBCA Division I Top 25 Coaches Poll, the Lady Bears rank atop the Valley in virtually every statistical category.
Averaging a MVC-best 80.0 ponts and 8.9 three-pointers per game, while boasting a .513 (134-of-289) field goal percentage and a .464 (134-of-289) mark from beyond the arc, the Lady Bears are led by sophomore guard Kari Koch's 19.1 points per game. Koch is one of two SMS starters shooting over 50 percent from the floor this season. Junior guard Jenni Lingor (13.2) and senior forward Meg Tierney also average double figures in points for the Lady Bears.
SMS holds a 27-22 lead against SIU in a series which started with 17 straight Saluki wins from 1977-89. However, since 1998, the Lady Bears have taken control of the series by winning their last 13 games over the Dawgs. Additionally, SIU hasn't defeated SMS at SIU Arena since March 2, 1996 (62-51).
