Southern Illinois University
(2-0)
Murray State
(0-2)
Women's Basketball downs Murray State, 94-77
11/22/2005 | 12:00:00 | Women's Basketball
Nov. 22, 2005
By Jeff Honza
www.SIUSalukis.com
MURRAY, Ky. - Jayme Sweere scored 28 points and Carlai Moore had 21 to lead Southern Illinois (2-0) to a 94-77 win over Murray State (0-2) earlier tonight at the Regional Special Events Center. Sweere and Moore led five Salukis in double figures.
The win marked SIU's 15th in a row against MSU, as the Salukis are 2-0 to start a season for the first time in 13 years.
After shooting only 1-of-9 from the field three days ago in her Saluki debut against Weber State, Sweere scored 12 points in the first half and 16 in the second to lift the Dawgs to a blazing 54.4 (37-68) field goal percentage.
"I had to get back to my strengths like penetrating and letting my defense create my offense, and I felt like I did that tonight," said Sweere.
Behind Sweere's hot hand, SIU stormed out to a 24-7 lead in the opening 7:47 of the game. Sweere scored eight points to ignite the surge, as five other Salukis joined in on the ambush.
SIU led by 17 again when Moore's layup gave the Dawgs a 38-21 lead with 4:08 remaining, but MSU answered with an 11-2 run to cut the lead to eight.
Sweere then knocked down a jumper with three seconds left to give SIU a 42-32 lead at intermission.
"I thought we were flat-footed defensively and non-existent on the boards for the last eight minutes of the first half, which didn't help initiate any of our offense," commented Eikenberg.
MSU kept battling moments into the second half, where back-to-back baskets by Ashley Nichole Hayes pulled the Racers to within six (42-36) at the 18:55 mark.
But, Sweere, Moore and the Saluki bench wore down the Racers.
Sweere stopped MSU's threat by scoring seven of her team's next 11 points, while Moore dominated the paint with 15 second half points.
Meanwhile, sophomore Katy Freeman (14) and freshman Jasmine Gibson (12) teamed up for 26 points to spearhead the Salukis' 34-11 advantage off the pine.
"I thought Katy and Jasmine did a great job. They made things happen for us," said Eikenberg.
Sweere shot 11-of-18 from the field and 6-of-8 from the free throw line. She also grabbed three rebounds, dished out three assists and had a game-high five steals.
Moore, who scored six points on 3-of-8 field goals in the first half, bounced back with a perfect 7-of-7 in the second to polish off a 10-of-15 showing.
As for Freeman and Gibson, they accounted for 11-of-16 field goals, 11 rebounds and four assists. Freeman shot 5-of-8 with four rebounds and one assist, while Gibson was 6-of-8 with seven boards and three assists.
Erin Pauk followed chipped in 11 points to round out SIU's five in double-digits.
Hayes topped the Racers with 21 points
SIU was red hot from the field, where it shot 19-of-36 (52.8 percent) in the first half and 18-of-32 (56.3 percent) in the second. The Salukis also outrebounded the Racers, 42-31, behind Elyse Morris' career-high 10 rebounds.
SIU's 94 points were the most scored in a game since the Salukis put up 95 against MSU on Nov. 23, 1996. The Dawgs are also undefeated in their last 11 trips to Murray.
The Salukis return to Carbondale to host South Alabama on Friday, Nov. 25. Tip off is set for 7:05 p.m.
