Southern Illinois University
8-8, 4-1
Bradley
5-10, 1-3
Women's Basketball crushes Bradley, 64-40
01/12/2007 | 12:00:00 | Women's Basketball
Jan. 11, 2007
By Shalae Schulte
www.siusalukis.com
PEORIA, Ill. - The Southern Illinois women's basketball team held Bradley to four field goals in the second half, forcing 25 Brave turnovers in a 64-40 victory in Robertson Field House Thursday night in Missouri Valley Conference action.
Southern held the lead the entire contest paced by a game-high 20 points from Jayme Sweere. The junior guard added seven boards and seven steals, shooting 8-of-12 from the field including 4-of-5 from beyond the arc.
Carlai Moore pitched in 12 points, adding six boards and four assists. The senior forward scored her 700th career point with her first bucket of the game with 7:05 left in the first half. The senior became the 25th Saluki to earn the honor and the only transfer in program history to accomplish the feat.
Erica Smith and Debbie Burris chipped in eight points each. Smith added four rebounds, five assists and two steals, while Burris contributed four assists two blocks and two steals.
For the first time this season, SIU shot under 40 percent, finishing 39.1 percent from the field, 25-of-64 from the floor.
The win brings the Salukis to 8-8 on the season and 4-1 in the Missouri Valley Conference. Bradley falls to 5-10 overall and 1-3 in conference play.
Despite shooting just 35.5 percent (11-of-31) from the field in the first half, the Salukis forced 14 Bradley turnovers to lead by four heading into the locker rooms at the half, 28-24.
Southern went on a 16 to 5 run to open the second half, including three straight 3-pointers.
The Braves scored three buckets in the second half before going scoreless from the field for nearly 12 minutes. Eight of BU's second half points came at the free throw line.
The Salukis held their largest lead of the game, 64-38, with just under a minute to play before the Braves scored their last bucket of the game with 37 seconds left to play.
SIU recorded a season-high 18 steals, tying a season-low nine turnovers.
This is the first time since the 1996-97 season that the Salukis record sits at .500 or above 16 games into the season. The 4-1 conference start is the best since 1993-94.
SIU will remain on the road facing Northern Iowa Sat. Jan. 13 for a 7:35 p.m. tip-off at the new McCleod Center in Cedar Falls, Iowa.
