Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Women's Basketball Visits Illinois State Saturday
01/28/2005 | 12:00:00 | Women's Basketball
Jan. 28, 2005
By Jeff Honza
www.SIUSalukis.com
NORMAL, Ill.-Southern Illinois (2-15, 0-8) visits in-state rival Illinois State (5-12, 2-6) on Saturday. Tip off is set for 3:05 p.m., at Redbird Arena.
SERIES HISTORY
SIU and ILS have met 81 times, with the Redbirds holding a tight, 41-40, edge in the overall series, which goes back to 1962. In two of the last three years, the visiting team has prevailed, as ILS and SIU split their two-game series. However, last season, it was the Redbirds who swept the Salukis with a 86-56 win in Normal and a 85-63 win in Carbondale.
GOOD EFFORT
After losing by 33 or more points to Indiana State at the Hulman Center in each of the last two years, SIU played the Sycamores the closest it's had on the road since 1999-00. Under then-head coach Julie Beck, the Dawgs defeated INS, 64-62, in Terre Haute on Dec. 29, 1999. On Thursday, the Dawgs only lost by 12, 78-66, after giving the Trees all they could handle for most of the game.
FREE THROWS OR TURNOVERS, WHICH HURT MORE?
Two things that have been hurting SIU in league play this season are turnovers and free throws. Averaging 22 turnovers a game against MVC foes, the Salukis recently turned the ball over a season-high 29 times, including 19 in the first half at Indiana State on Jan. 27. While the turnovers have indeed been a concern, what appears to be hurting the Salukis even more is not getting to the free throw line enough. In fact, in its last six Valley games, SIU has only shot 26-of-42 (61.9 percent) free throws to its opponents' 90-of-125 (72.0 percent).
LOPSIDED AFFAIR
In four of SIU's last six conference games, the Salukis have only attempted between 0 and eight free throws. Meanwhile, its opponents are attempting 15 to 34 shots. Most recently, the Dawgs shot only 7-of-8 at the free throw line to Indiana State's 24-of-34. SIU also went without shooting a free throw for its entire game against Northern Iowa on Jan. 14.
SCOUTING ILLINOIS STATE
Preseason-picked third in the MVC this season, ILS has fallen to eighth in the league standings.
Currently on a three-game losing streak, the Redbirds are coming off a 77-63 loss to Evansville on Thursday. The loss marked the Redbirds' fifth at home, where they are 3-5 on the year.
Three Redbirds, including Katie Donovan, Jacki McCormack and Megan McCracken are averaging double figures in the scoring column this season. Donovan leads all ILS scorers with 13.9 points per game, while McCormack follows with 11.5. McCracken rounds out the trio with 11.1 ppg.
The Redbirds are scoring 67.9 points per game as a team and are shooting 42.8 percent (427-of-998) from the field. ILS is also knocking down nearly eight (7.7) three-pointers a game.
ABOUT THE SALUKIS
With only eight players, short-handed SIU is playing hard and continuing to improve.
Mired in a nine-game losing streak, the Salukis are hungry for a win.
Seniors Danette Jones and Daphney Desamours have been the Dawgs' top-two scoring threats all season. A native of Salem, Ill., Jones tops the Salukis with 14.3 points per game, while Desamours follows with 12.9.
The talented pair also occupies the top-two scoring spots in Valley games. Jones is scoring 12. 5 ppg and Desamours is pitching in 11.1 ppg against league foes this year.
While Jones and Desamours have been the talk of this year's team, other Salukis have made significant contributions at times. Namely, Elyse Morris, who became SIU's third-leading scorer this season after scoring a career-high 19 points against Indiana State (1/27). Morris, who hails from Prophetstown, Ill., is averaging 6.5 points a game.
As a team, the Dawgs are scoring 53.6 points, whooting 38.9 percent (340-of-874) from the field and 67.4 percent (159-of-236) at the free throw line. SIU has also committed 344 turnovers on the year for a 20.2 average.
MAGNIFICENT MORRIS
Despite being bothered by back spasms, redshirt-freshman Elyse Morris managed to pitch in a career-high 19 points against Indiana State on Jan. 22. Only the second time scoring in double figures in her career, Morris shot 7-of-12 from the field, knocked down 2-of-5 from three-point range, and made a near-perfect 3-of-4 at the free throw line. She also dished out a career-high five assists and grabbed four rebounds in 36 minutes.
