Women's Basketball visits Murray State Tuesday
11/21/2005 | 12:00:00 | Women's Basketball
Nov. 21, 2005
By Jeff Honza
www.SIUSalukis.com
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Date: Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2005
Tip Off: 5:15 p.m., CST
Site: Regional Special Events Center (8,500), Murray, Ky.
The Series: SIU leads, 30-4
Head Coaches: SIU: Dana Eikenberg (4-24/2nd Yr.)
Murray State: Joi Felton (22-33/3rd Yr.)
Rankings: Neither team is ranked
Audio Webcast: www.siusalukis.com
Murray State One of Three OVC Schools on This Year's Non-League Slate
Murray State is the first of three Ohio Valley Conference opponents SIU faces on the road in non-conference play this season. The Dawgs also make trips to SE Missouri State on Nov. 29 and Tennessee Tech on Dec. 5.
Dawgs Have 14-Game Winning Streak Against Murray State
SIU looks to extend a 14-game winning streak against MSU Tuesday. The Salukis are 30-4 all-time against the Racers and their winning streak dates back to 1990. SIU last played MSU in 2000, where it beat the Racers, 73-56, in Murray, Ky.
Keep it Going
SIU is unbeaten in its last 10 trips to Murray, Ky. The last time the Salukis lost a game on MSU's homecourt was in 1981 (87-78).
Versus the Ohio Valley Conference
SIU is 107-31 all-time against Ohio Valley Conference schools. The Salukis are 36-6 against Eastern Illinois, 2-0 against Eastern Kentucky, 30-4 against Murray State, 23-5 against SE Missouri State, 7-5 against Tennessee-Martin, 2-0 against Tennessee State and 7-11 against Tennessee Tech. SIU has played all but four teams -- Morehead State, Austin Peay, Samford, Jacksonville State -- from the OVC.
About the Racers
Preseason Pick: MSU was picked eighth in the 11-team Ohio Valley Conference this season. The Racers were picked behind Tennessee Tech, SE Missouri State, Eastern Kentucky, Jacksonville State, Samford, Tennessee State and Tennessee-Martin. Scouting Report: MSU went 9-19 overall and 5-11 in the OVC last season. Third-year head coach Joi Felton has three starters among six letterwinners back from a year ago. The Racers also have nine newcomers, including five true freshmen. Junior guard Ashley B. Hayes is among the top returning MSU players this year. Hayes ranked second on the team with 10.3 points and 3.3 rebounds in 2004-05. She also tied for the team lead with a 81.2 free throw percentage. Sophomore guard Shaleea Petty also returns to the Racer mix this season. A second-team all-OVC preseason pick, Petty led the OVC with 4.25 assists per game as a freshman. Petty, however, did not play in her team's season-opener against Ball State Saturday. Last Time Out: MSU dug itself a deep first half hole against visiting Ball State Saturday. After trailing 50-28 at intermission, the Racers outscored the Cardinals 44-40 in the second half, before falling, 90-72, in the season-opener for both teams. Three Racers Miss Season-Opener: Shaleea Petty was one of three Lady Racers who missed her team's season-opener against Ball State. Petty, along with sophomore returnee Alaina Lee and Northern Illinois University transfer Joi Scott were sidelined due to injury. The three are questionable for Tuesday's game.
Salukis Win Season-Opener
SIU won its first season-opener in four years when it beat Weber State, 55-48, Saturday in Carbondale. The Salukis held a good three-point shooting Wildcat team to only 2-of-16 (.125) from behind the arc, forced 23 turnovers and had 13 steals in the win. Amy Hayden and Erin Pauk each scored 12 points to pace the Dawgs, while Carlai Moore followed with 10. The last time SIU won a season-opener was in 2000-01 when it defeated Illinois-Chicago, 57-40, in Chicago on Nov. 18.
Streak Snapped
The Salukis' win over Weber State also ended an eight-game losing streak. Prior to Saturday, SIU had lost 18 of its last 19 games and hadn't posted a win since Feb. 3, 2005.
Hayden Hayday
SIU's lone senior, Amy Hayden, scored 12 second half points on 4-of-6 field goals, including 2-of-4 from three-point range. Hayden was limited to two scoreless minutes in the first half after getting into early foul trouble before erupting in the game's final 20 minutes. For Hayden, the double-digit effort marked both the ninth of her career and first in 18 games since she last pitched in 10 points at Stetson on Dec. 21, 2004.
Approach the Bench
Freshman Jasmine Gibson and sophomore Katy Freeman keyed the Saluki bench to a 14-6 advantage against Weber State. Gibson and Freeman teamed up for 12 points, seven rebounds, an assist and two steals in 37 minutes off the pine.
All-Around Pauk
Sophomore point guard Erin Pauk made an impressive Saluki debut in all phases of the game Saturday against Weber State. A native of St. Charles, Mo., Pauk tied a team-high 12 points, grabbed five rebounds, dished out a game high five assists and had three steals in 38 minutes. She and teammate Elyse Morris (32) were the only two Salukis who played over 30 minutes in the game.
Two to Tie
If SIU defeats MSU Tuesday, the Salukis will match their total number of non-conference wins from a year ago. SIU finished its 2004-05 non-league slate at 2-7 and has gone only 3-15 outside the Missouri Valley Conference over the last two years.
Great Scott!
With a victory Tuesday night, the Salukis would be off to their best start in 13 years. SIU last opened a season with back-to-back wins in 1991-92 under Cindy Scott. The Dawgs began that year with four-straight wins before finishing 23-8 overall. One of those wins was a 88-63 victory at Murray State. SIU also advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, where it lost to Ole Miss (72-56) as a No. 10-seed.
Busy Week Ahead
The Salukis play two games over Thanksgiving break this week. After its visit to Murray State Tuesday, SIU returns to Carbondale to host South Alabama on Friday at 7:05 p.m. This week's matchups cap off a stretch of three games in six days for the Dawgs.
Eikenberg Goes After First Win Against an OVC Opponent
Dana Eikenberg is 0-2 all-time against OVC opponents in a little over five years as a Division I head coach. At UMKC, Eikenberg's teams lost to SE Missouri State, 65-48, in 2000-01 and Austin Peay, 70-62, in 2002-03.
Board Certified
Sophomore guard Elyse Morris led the Salukis with six rebounds against Weber State on Nov. 19. Three of her rebounds came on the offensive glass, where SIU outrebounded the Wildcats, 15-9. Morris' three offensive boards matched a career-high.