Southern Illinois University
0-32-10; MVC
Wichita State*
1-24-8; MVC
Women's Basketball Loses to Wichita State, 67-52
01/06/2005 | 12:00:00 | Women's Basketball
Jan. 6, 2005
By Jeff Honza
www.SIUSalukis.com
WICHITA, Kan. - Kiki Stephens scored a game-high 17 points as one of four Shockers in double figures to lead Wichita State (4-8, 1-2) to a 67-52 win over Southern Illinois (2-10, 0-3) earlier tonight at Charles Koch Arena. The win marked WSU's first in the Missouri Valley Conference this season.
Both WSU and SIU, ranked ninth and 10th in the Valley, respectively, entered the night with losing streaks of three or more games, and back-to-back losses in the league.
For a team averaging 25 turnovers a game, WSU sure didn't look like it.
Instead of turning the ball over, WSU was taking it away, and as a result, registered eight steals off 16 Saluki turnovers.
Despite all the miscues, SIU only trailed, 6-4, nearly four minutes into the game.
However, immediately following the game's first media timeout, Switzer heated up from downtown and stifled the Salukis.
Switzer rallied off eight consecutive points, including six from downtown, to spark a 10-2 run and give the Shockers a 16-6 lead with just under 15 minutes remaining.
Even though Danette Jones answered with back-to-back buckets to narrow the gap to 16-10 (11:54), WSU responded with a 19-9 run to take a 35-19 lead at the break.
Stephens scored seven, while Switzer pitched in another six from behind the arc to combine for 13 points during the surge. Each would later end the half in double-digits, as Switzer had 14 and Stephens followed with 11.
Meanwhile, Jones accounted for all but six of the Salukis' first half points. She also scored her team's last 11 of 13 to close out the stanza.
SIU outscored WSU, 33-32, in the second half, and even cut what was once a 25-point (60-35) lead to 13 (65-52) on a Lecretia Akines jumper (:54). But, that was all the Salukis could muster in their third straight double-digit loss.
WSU, who dressed nine players for the third straight game, ended up shooting 44.9 percent on the night. Stephens was 5-of-12 from the field and a perfect 7-of-7 from the free throw line.
Switzer followed with 6-of-14 from the field, including 4-of-6 from downtown en route to 16 points. Richardson and Aubrey Cameron each added 10.
Additionally, the Shockers had 16 steals and only committed nine turnovers.
Jones topped the Salukis with 17 points on 8-of-16 from the field. Desamours also recorded double figures with 12.
SIU turned the ball over a season-high 27 times, including 16 in the first half. The Salukis averaged one turnover a minute in the first 10 minutes of the game.
On a brighter note, the Dawgs outrebounded the Shockers, 39-38, but fell behind, 22-11, on the offensive glass.
The loss marked SIU's 12th in a row against the Shockers, as the Salukis haven't won in Wichita since 1996.
SIU remains on the road to face MVC preseason favorite Southwest Missouri State on Saturday at 1:35 p.m.
