Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Women's Basketball hosts Northern Iowa Thursday
01/04/2006 | 12:00:00 | Women's Basketball
Jan. 4, 2006
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By Jeff Honza
www.SIUSalukis.com
Date: Thursday, Jan. 5, 2006
Tip Off: 12:05 p.m., CST
Site: SIU Arena (Carbondale, Ill.)
The Series: SIU leads, 27-17
Head Coaches: SIU: Dana Eikenberg (8-30, 2-18 MVC/2nd Year)
UNI: Tony DiCecco (154-141, 95-87 MVC/11th Year)
Rankings: Neither team is ranked
Radio Broadcast: WCIL 1020 AM
Audio Webcast: www.siusalukis.com
Livestats: www.siusalukis.com
Unusual Start Time
Several elementary and junior high schools from the southern Illinois area are invited to attend SIU's 12:05 game against UNI Thursday. For $5, kids get a ticket to the game, a SIU Souvenir bag courtesy of 710 Bookstore, and lunch courtesy of Subway in Murphysboro and Carbondale. Others sponsoring the special promotion include Golden Corral, Arby's, Jimmy John's and Mary Lou's.
Going for Four
SIU looks for its fourth win at home against the Panthers. The Salukis are currently 3-1 at SIU Arena after beating Weber State (55-48), South Alabama (82-61) and South Dakota State (75-59), and losing to Indiana (64-59). SIU has gone the last eight years with losing records at home.
MVC Home Openers
SIU is 14-8 all-time in Missouri Valley Conference home openers. When the Salukis became a member of the Gateway/MVC in 1983-84, they won 13 of their first 14 conference home openers. Since 1997-98, however, the Dawgs have dropped seven of their last eight MVC home openers.
Series History
SIU leads the overall series against UNI, 27-17, but has dropped 15 of its last 16 games to the Panthers. Included in that stretch is a six-game losing streak dating back to 2003. SIU hosts UNI in its Valley home opener for just the fourth time. The Panthers spoiled the Dawgs' home league opener in two of the first three meetings.
Eikenberg Against the Panthers
Dana Eikenberg is 0-5 all-time against Northern Iowa. Three of those losses came when she was head coach at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. In her debut as the Salukis' head coach a year ago, UNI beat SIU, 64-40, in Carbondale and, 72-43, in Cedar Falls. The Panthers were one of eight Valley teams to win both games against the Dawgs in Eikenberg's first year at SIU.
Nice Defense
SIU's defense has been suffocating at home, where it's forcing 21 turnovers and holding opponents to 58.0 points a game. The most points an opponent has scored on the Dawgs at home this season are 64 by Indiana on Dec. 2. Also, SIU held Weber State to 48 points on Nov. 19, marking the lowest number of points an opponent has scored at SIU Arena this season.
First Valley Win Comes Big on the Road
SIU won its first MVC opener since 1999-00 with an 87-65 victory at Illinois State on Dec. 30. It marked the first conference win on the road since the Salukis beat Bradley, 78-75, on Jan. 31, 2004.
It's Been Awhile
Prior to its convincing 87-65 win at Illinois State on Dec. 30, SIU hadn't won a conference road game by 22 or more points since defeating Northern Iowa, 83-59, on Jan. 20, 1996.
Reaching New Heights
SIU's 87 points against Illinois State are the most in a conference game since the Salukis pitched in 84 in a 98-84 loss to Indiana State on Feb. 12, 2004. Before the win against the Redbirds on Dec. 30, the Dawgs went 25-straight conference games with no more than 70 points on the board. Overall, SIU has scored 80 or more points three times this year and that hasn't happened since 2002-03.
Defending the Trey
The Salukis lead the MVC in three-point field goal percentage defense after 11 games this season. SIU's opponents are averaging just 3.5 treys per game for a mere .279 (38-of-136) percentage. The Dawgs limited Illinois State to a 1-of-12 effort from behind the arc after the Redbirds entered the night averaging seven threes a game. Two days later, SIU held preseason favorite Indiana State to a 3-of-15 mark from downtown. In conference play alone, opponents are shooting just 14.8 percent (4-of-27) from three-point range against SIU.
NCAA National Statistics Update
In the latest NCAA Division I women's basketball statistics released on Jan. 2, SIU tied for 10th in free throw percentage (.766) and tied for 28th in turnovers per game (14.5). Individually, Carlai Moore tied for 34th in scoring (18.8 ppg) and ranked 16th in field goal percentage (.616, minimum of 5 FG made per game).
Moore Named MVC Newcomer-of-the-Week
Junior Carlai Moore, the Valley's third-leading scorer with 18.8 points per game, was named MVC Newcomer-of-the-Week on Jan. 3. A native of Kansas City, Kan., Moore averaged 24.5 points in SIU's first two conference games last week. She poured in a career and league high 31 points in her MVC debut against Illinois State (Dec. 30), where she shot 11-of-15 from the field and a perfect 9-of-9 from the free throw line, while pulling down a career-high eight rebounds. Two days later, Moore scored 18 points on 8-of-10 field goals and 2-of-3 free throws against MVC Preseason favorite Indiana State. She is SIU's second MVC Newcomer-of-the-Week this season, as Jayme Sweere also garnered the award on Nov. 28.
Five in a Row
Carlai Moore has led SIU in scoring for five-straight games. During that span, she has pitched in 23 or more points in three of those outings. Moore has made a boiling 69.6 percent (48-of-69) of her field goals and 86.4 percent (19-of-22) of her free throws en route to an average of 23 points per game in her last five contests.
Moore Becomes First Saluki to Score Over 30 Points in Two Years
With her impressive 31-point effort Friday, Carlai Moore became the first Saluki to score over 30 points in a game in two years. The last time a SIU player scored over 30 points was when Danette Jones had 33 against Bradley on Jan. 31, 2004. Before that, the most recent 30+ point effort was a 35-point showing by Molly McDowell against Evansville on Jan. 11, 2003.
Moore Questionable for Thursday
Carlai Moore still managed to lead SIU in scoring against Indiana State Sunday, despite having to leave the game midway through the second half due to a strained muscle in her right leg. Moore did not practice with the team Tuesday, and whether she'll return for Thursday's game against Northern Iowa is undetermined at this time.
Freeman Produces
Sophomore Katy Freeman scored double figures in SIU's first two league games this season. The Duluth Minn., native shot 5-of-8 from the field and 4-of-4 from the free throw line, while hauling down eight rebounds, dishing out two assists and posting two steals against Illinois State on Dec. 30. Against Indiana State on Jan. 1, she shot 4-of-11 from the floor and 3-of-6 from the foul line, while dishing out three assists and posting one steal. Freeman has started in seven-straight games since working her way into the lineup on Dec. 2.
Better off the Bench?
Freshman Jasmine Gibson has started the last two games for the Dawgs, but after seeing the numbers, you have to wonder if she's more effective off the bench. Gibson scored 12 or more points and posted four or more rebounds off the bench, in three of her last four games before joining the starting lineup on Dec. 30. Since then, she has only scored 12 points and had nine rebounds combined in two games. Behind Gibson, the Saluki bench was outscoring opponents, 158-116, after the first nine games. But, since Gibson became a starter, SIU's bench has trailed its opponents, 33-19. A native of Kansas City, Mo., Gibson leads the Valley in field goal percentage with a .619 (39-of-63) mark.
Valley News
The Valley is holding steady with a No. 11 RPI ranking, according to the latest addition of the Collegiate Basketball News. Conference openers have come and gone for eight of 10 schools, including an opening weekend 2-0 record for Indiana State and Creighton, who sit atop the standings. Wichita State opened league play on Jan. 3.
About the Panthers
UNI, like SIU, split its first two conference games. The Panthers, who played their last four games at home, lost to Creighton, 67-64, in overtime and beat Drake, 69-46. UNI (3-1) and Indiana State (5-1) have the best road records in the league thus far. Cassie Hager, who towers at 6-7, leads the Panthers in scoring (17.2 ppg), rebounding (7.2 rpg) and blocks (43, 4.0 bpg). Tara King is also averaging double figures (11.4 ppg) in the scoring column. As a team, UNI tops the league in scoring defense and field goal percentage defense, where its opponents are only scoring 57.5 points and shooting 37.4 percent.
