Women's Basketball Closes Out Homestand Tuesday against Saint Louis
12/06/2004 | 12:00:00 | Women's Basketball
Dec. 6, 2004
By Jeff Honza
www.SIUSalukis.com
CARBONDALE, Ill. - Coming off nearly a week's break, Southern Illinois (0-5) returns to action this week when it hosts Saint Louis (1-4) Tuesday. Tip off is at 7:05 p.m.
HOMESTAND ENDS
Tuesday's game against Saint Louis marks the end of a three-game homestand for the Dawgs. The Salukis, who are 0-2 at SIU Arena after losing to Ohio Valley Conference members Tennessee Tech (73-55; Nov. 28) and SE Missouri State (77-56; Dec. 1), will finish out their non-conference campaign on the road.
SERIES HISTORY
SIU leads its overall series against Saint Louis, 10-4. The Salukis and Billikens started playing each other in 1960, where the series opened with eight of nine SIU victories. Heading into this year, SIU looks to win its third straight over SLU, after last beating the Billikens in both 2002 (57-53) and 2003 (68-65).
A LOOK BACK
The last time SIU and SLU played each other was on Dec. 29, 2003, where the Salukis won, 68-65, at Bauman-Eberhardt Center. Dana Pinkston converted a conventional three-point play with 6.7 seconds remaining to lead the Dawgs to the comeback win. The win helped SIU avoid a winless non-conference season. It was also the second straight time the Salukis beat the Billikens by three or four points.
SCOUTING THE BILLIKENS
Saint Louis is 1-4 on the young season after losing four of its first five games. The Billikens carry a two-game losing streak to Carbondale after losing to Missouri Valley Conference opponents Southwest Missouri State (86-56) on Dec. 1 and Drake (84-63) on Dec. 4.
SLU fields a young and inexperienced team this season. Of its 14 players, 12 are underclassmen consisting of six freshmen and six sophomores. In fact, all but two of those freshmen are starters.
Freshman guard Mia Johnson leads all SLU scorers with 16.4 points per game. Junior forward Marquita McFarland follows with 12.2 points, while sophomore guard Yanique Javois averages 10.0 points in two games off the bench.
As a team, the Billikens are averaging just under 60 points (59.6) a game. SLU is also turning the ball over 17.6 times, and is shooting just 32.4 percent from the field and 28.4 percent from three-point range. Not to mention, the Billikens were outscored, 170-119, by their last two opponents.
Head coach Jill Pizzotti is 110-148 in her 10th season at the SLU helm. Pizzotti's teams are 1-1 against the Salukis at SIU Arena.
DYNAMIC DUO
Seniors Danette Jones (87) and Desamours (66) have combined for 153 of SIU's 257 points this season, which accounts for 59.5 percent of the team's overall point production. Jones tops all scorers with 17.4 points per game and Desamours follows with 13.2. Not to mention, Jones has scored double figures in four of five games, while Desamours pitched in double figures in each of her outings.
JONES PRODUCES
After averaging nearly 40 minutes in five games this season, you might think Danette Jones might start showing signs of fatigue. Instead, Jones continues to be the Salukis' most dominant shooting threat. A native of Salem, Ill., she is averaging 3.4 three-pointers a game, and is shooting 17-of-43 (.395) from downtown on the year. Additionally, her six three-pointers against Tennessee Tech (11/28) not only tied a career-high, but they fell one shy of matching the school's single game record.
JONES JOINS ELITE CROWD
Danette Jones became only the fifth Saluki in school history to surpass 100 career three-pointers after knocking down six treys against Tennessee Tech on Nov. 28. In her fourth year as a Saluki, Jones has made 104-of-305 (.341) three-pointers, and is chasing Karrie Redeker, who holds the school record with 161 threes from 1988-92. Jones is currently tied for third on SIU's all-time list.
DESAMOURS NABS CAREER-HIGH
Senior point guard Daphney Desamours, who stands at 5-4, grabbed a career-high 13 rebounds as part of a double-double against Southeast Missouri State (12/1). A native of Miami, Fla., she also scored 14 points on 5-of-14 field goals and 4-of-8 free throws. Additionally, she dished out a career-high six assists and had three steals. Desamours' double-double marked the first of her Saluki career.
HAYDEN HEATS UP
Junior guard Amy Hayden heated up for 10 points off the bench as one of three Salukis who scored double-digits against Southeast Missouri State (12/1). After shooting just 2-of-20 from the field in her first four games of the season, Hayden tied her total of makes with back-to-back three-pointers in a span of 1:07. Her second trey even brought the Salukis to within four (41-37) with just under 14 minutes remaining. On the night, the native of Ft. Wayne, Ind., shot 2-of-6 from the field, including a 2-of-3 effort from downtown. She also tossed in a perfect4-of-4 from the free throw line en route to her first double-digit performance since registering 11 points against Illinois State on Feb. 14, 2004.
OFFENSIVE UPDATE
SIU is shooting 35.0 percent (91-of-260) from the field, 33.8 percent (24-of-71) from three-point land and 69.9 percent (51-of-73) from the free throw line. The Salukis are also averaging 51.4 points a game and Danette Jones has drained all but seven of SIU's three-pointers.
NEXT UP FOR THE DAWGS
SIU finishes its non-conference season with three games on the road before the Christmas holiday. The Salukis first visit Southern Mississippi on Dec. 11, before playing at Bethune-Cookman on Dec. 18 and Stetson on Dec. 21.
