Southern Illinoise University Athletics
League-leading women's basketball team hosts Bradley Friday
02/07/2007 | 12:00:00 | Women's Basketball
www.siusalukis.com
Date: Friday, February 9
Tip Off: 7:05 p.m. CT
Site: Carbondale, Ill. - SIU Arena (10,014)
The Series: SIU leads 39-11
Head Coaches: SIU: Dana Eikenberg (64-125 overall, 26-51 at SIU)
Bradley: Paula Buscher (123-147 overall, 80-109 at BU)
Rankings: NR
Radio: WUEZ FM 95.1
Audio Webcast: www.siusalukis.com
Livestats: www.siusalukis.com
This Week
The Salukis return home for the Bradley - Northern Iowa swing. The Braves come to town Friday, Feb. 9 for a 7:05 p.m. start, while the Panthers visit Sunday, Feb. 11 for a 2:05 p.m. tip-off.
Last Week
The Salukis began the second half of conference play with a split on the road at Indiana State and Illinois State. SIU fell to the Sycamores Friday, 74-69, then turned around to knock off the Redbirds at home Sunday, 79-66.
Best MVC Start
The Salukis' 9-2 start to the Missouri Valley Conference season gives the team its best opening since joining the conference in 1991-92. Cindy Scott led her team to a 11-1 start in 1990-91 the final year SIU was a part of the Gateway Conference.
Salukis snapped at six, win 10 of last 12
Southern Illinois had a six-game win streak snapped by Indiana State Saturday. The streak marks the first time since 1995-96 that Southern has won six in a row. SIU has won 10 of its last 12 games dating back to Dec. 19. The Sycamores also put a blemish on the Dawgs undefeated road record in The Valley, now 6-1 in MVC play. The Salukis won seven straight during MVC play 11 years ago, under former head coach Cindy Scott.
First double-road sweep in MVC history for the Dawgs
The Salukis are 6-1 on the road this season in conference play, sweeping two road swings for the first time in MVC history. Southern swept two Gateway Conference road trips in 1989-90.
Most wins since 1996-97
SIU is 13-9 on the season, already surpassing last season's win total which was the best since 1997-98. SIU eclipsed its win total from a year ago (10), the most by a Saluki squad since Southern finished 14-14 in 1996-97.
Series History
The Salukis lead the series against the Braves 39 games to 11. BU has taken nine of the last 12 meetings, splitting last season's contests. SIU held the Braves to just 40 points in a win in Robertson Field House Jan. 11.
Eikenberg Against BU
Saluki head coach Dana Eikenberg begins her third conference season against the Braves. SIU was swept by Bradley in Eikenberg's first season as head coach, 2004-05, but last season (2005-06), the teams each won on their home court. This season, Eikenberg's Salukis dropped the Braves on their home court, Jan. 11. Eikenberg also dropped two games to the Braves at UMKC, making her career tally against BU, 2-5.
Previewing the Braves
BU is currently 8-14 on the season including 4-7 in the MVC. The Braves just upended a three-game skid with a big win against Drake Saturday.
Preseason pick: Returning three starters from a year ago, Bradley was picked to finish 10th of 10 teams in the Missouri Valley Conference in 2006-07.
2005-06 finish: The Braves return three starters from a team that went 9-19 overall and 5-13 in league play to finish ninth in the MVC a year ago.
Scouting report: Bradley returns six letterwinners from last season's squad, including three starters. Five of the top-six scorers this season return including, Devyn Flanagan, Amy Peters, Ashley Chelleen, Jen Brown and Kelly Krumweide. Erika Nelson leads the team averaging 13.5 points, 2.6 boards per game, while Flanagan averages 11.8 points, and 4.7 boards.
Last time out: 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 Jan. 11 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. 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.
Sunday slump snapped
The Salukis snapped a 0-14 run on Sundays dating back to Feb. 16, 2003 when they picked up a victory at Redbird Arena Super Bowl Sunday, 79-66. Under head coach Dana Eikenberg, the Salukis were 0-11 on Sundays during the regular season in her first two and half seasons.
Under 75
Just once in 12 wins this season, the Salukis could not hold their opponent under 70 points. In a win on the road, Southern's defense gave up 74 points, winning by five against Northern Iowa. Prior to the win, the Salukis were able to hold each of their opponents under 70 in all wins this season. The Salukis held three opponents to 41 points or below picking up a big win over Missouri State Sat. Dec. 30, 63-38. It was the first time a SIU team held an opponent under 40 points since January, 1990 when they held Indiana State to 38 points under former Saluki head coach Cindy Scott.
Salukis in half-time leads
Southern was down five-points, 31-26, against Drake at halftime Jan. 20, then came from behind to win by two. SIU has led at the half in 16 of 22 games this season, going 11-5 in those games. The team is 1-1 when tied at the half so the Drake game marks the first time this season the Salukis picked up a win after trailing at the half, 1-3 on the season, when down at halftime - two of those losses came at the odwalla Classic in San Francisco in November.
Salukis from the field - 9th in the nation
Virtually all season Southern Illinois has been first the league in team field goal percentage at .473 on the season. The mark ranks ninth in the nation as a team. This season, seven of 10 players are shooting at or above 40 percent. Senior Carlai Moore (.589) and freshman Dana Olsen (.551) lead the team.
Sweere Steps Up
Saluki guard Jayme Sweere has stepped up to lead the Salukis in steals (43) and blocks (15), second on the team in scoring (11.5 ppg) and assists (53). She produced a season-high 23 points to help pull the Salukis past Weber State on the road Dec. 2. In league play the junior is averaging 11.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, tallying 25 assists and 23 steals in 32.1 minutes per game. She sits in the top-15 in the league in scoring (15th), steals (3rd) and blocks (10th).
Olsen moves from bench to starter
Freshman Dana Olsen worked her way into the starting lineup after just eight games her first collegiate season. The forward averaged 7.9 points, 3.3 boards, shooting 60 percent from the field off the bench. In her first 12 games as a starter, Olsen has averaged 9.9 points, 4.2 boards, shooting 55 percent from the field. She recorded a career-best 24 points against Murray State and 10 rebounds at Indiana. The freshman is second on the team shooting .551 from the field.
Salukis snap league skids
• Jan. 13, Southern took a game from UNI, 79-74, the first game since 2002 and the first game in Cedar Falls since 1997.
• The Salukis snapped a 13-game losing streak to Indiana State dating back to 2000 when SIU beat INS in Terre Haute 64-62, Jan. 6. It was the first time Southern beat the Sycamores in SIU Arena in 21 tries, dating back to 1997.
• A week earlier SIU snapped losing streaks at Wichita State (Dec. 28) (won at WSU for first time since 1996) and Missouri State (Dec. 30) (19-game losing streak).
Burris Burries Threes
SIU's Debbie Burris has played in 22 games as a Saluki this season after transferring from Allen Community College in the off-season. The junior guard was 0-3 in the season-opener against Missouri from beyond the arc, but has since burried at least one three in her last 21 games. Most recently, Burris was 2-of-5 from the 3-point line against Illinois State Sunday. Burris currently leads the team in 3-pointers (43). Her 3-point field goal percentage (.417) ranks fourth in the league, while her 3-pointers per game average (1.95) ranks sixth.
Babies
SIU opened the Missouri Valley Conference season with a sweep of Wichita State and Missouri State on the road. Saluki freshman Dana Olsen wasn't even one-year-old, the last time Southern took both games of the road trip back in January of the 1988-89 season when SIU was a part of the Gateway Conference.
Gibson records career highs
Sophomore Jasmine Gibson emerged off the bench in two games against Illinois State and Indiana State to record career highs in points (19) and rebounds (10) at home. The forward scored a career-high 19 points off the bench, adding five boards and a steal against Illinois State Thu., Jan. 4, then turned around Sat. Jan. 6 to just miss a double-double off the bench again with a career-high 10 boards and nine points in a big win over defending MVC champs Indiana State.
Moore three away from 800-points **FG % 12th in the nation
With one bucket against Bradley Jan. 11, Carlai Moore scored her 700th career point as a Saluki. Moore currently sits with 797 points, just three away from 800. The forward is just one of 25 SIU women's basketball players to reach the milestone in the program's history. Moore is the highest-scoring transfer in school history, passing Angenette Sumrall (1993-95) who scored 631 points in her career. The Salukis' lone senior, Moore is currently fifth in scoring (15.5 ppg) and second in field goal percentage (.580) in The Valley this season. The 2006 MVC Newcomer of the Year, she is currently 23rd all-time in scoring at SIU with her 797 points. ***The senior is currently ranked nationally in field goal percentage (12th).
Smith accepts role
Saluki guard Erica Smith moved from the bench to the starting point guard at SIU. In 13 games at the one guard, she has led the Salukis to a 10-3 record. She accepted the role and in her first 13 starts has averaged 9.3 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.1 steals and 3.5 assists per game. In those games she is shooting 62 percent (46-of-74) from the field and 40 percent (8-of-20) from beyond the arc. She leads the league in field goal percentage in conference play (.627).
Salukis ink six for 2007-08
Southern Illinois women's basketball head coach Dana Eikenberg and her staff signed the largest recruiting class since taking the reigns at SIU two years ago. The Saluki coaching staff signed six athletes, including four from Illinois. Eikenberg's current team holds no players from in-state.
• Paris Campbell, 6-2, Forward/Center (Chicago, Ill. - Whitney Young HS)
• Brenna Saline, 5-7, Guard (Galesburg, Ill. - Galesburg HS)
• Katrina Swingler, 6-0, Guard/Forward (Teutopolis, Ill. - Teutopolis HS)
• Natalie Taylor, 6-0, Guard (De Pere, Wis. - De Pere HS)
• Tanaeya Worden, 5-5, Guard (Sioux City, Iowa - Sioux City North HS)
• Ellen Young, 5-6, Guard (Salem, Ill. - Salem Community HS)
Moore named All-Tournament
Saluki forward Carlai Moore led SIU in scoring, named to the odwalla Classic All-Tournament Team for her efforts in the two-game tournament. She highlighted the week, recording a season-high 27 points, adding five boards against, at the time, No. 20/24 Kentucky. In the tournament. She averaged 20.5 points, 3.0 boards and 1.5 assists.
Dawg House Packed - Salukis Shatter Home Attendance Record
The season opener against Missouri Sunday, Nov. 12, drew an attendance of 3,367 the mark broke the all-time single-game record at SIU Arena. The previous record of 2,003 was set back in January of 1989 at a match up between Southern and Wichita State.
Sweere, Olsen Sweep Weekly Honors
Junior Jayme Sweere and freshman Dana Olsen were named Missouri Valley Conference Player and Newcomer of the Week, the league announced Monday, Jan. 15. Sweere averaged 19.0 points, 4.5 boards and 5.0 steals in a Saluki sweep on the road in MVC play. The guard scored a game-high 20 points, adding seven boards and seven steals in the win over Bradley Thursday, then turned around Saturday to score a team-high 18 points, to go along with two boards, two assists and three steals against the Panthers. For the weekend, Sweere shot 54 percent (15-of-28) from the field, as well as 4-of-5 from both the 3-point line and free throw line (80 percent). Olsen averaged 11.0 points, 6.5 boards, shooting 62 percent (8-of-13) from the field. The forward scored six points, adding four boards and two steals against Bradley Thursday. She then turned around to shoot 5-of-7 from the field, scoring 16 points, adding nine boards and a steal for a near double-double against UNI Saturday.
Burris earns weekly honors
Junior Debbie Burris was named the Missouri Valley Conference Newcomer of the Week, for the week ending Jan. 1. She averaged 12.5 points, 2.0 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1.0 blocks, shooting 56 percent (9-of-16) from the field, was perfect from the charity stripe and shot 50 percent (5-of-10) from beyond the 3-point line.
2005-06 Highlight *Moving on Up
The 2005-06 team recorded 10 wins in a season for the first time since 1997-98. The Salukis won four non-conference games and six Missouri Valley Conference games during the 2005-06 season. The conference mark is the highest since 1997-98 under former head coach Cindy Scott. SIU also garnered a winning record at home (7-6) for the first time since 1996-97. Last season the Salukis ranked second in The Valley in both field goal percentage (.421) and three-point field goal percentage defense (.294).
2005-06 Highlight *Salukis make strides in The Valley
• SIU swept two league opponents (Creighton and Illinois State) for the first time in a season since 1998-99. In 1998-99 the Salukis swept Bradley and Illinois State.
• Ended a 19-game losing streak against Drake. Before the Salukis' victory at home over the Bulldogs Jan. 21, 2006, SIU had not taken a game since 1996 when they swept Drake.
• Finished last in the MVC four years in a row prior to finishing eighth last season. In 1999-2000, SIU finished tied for eighth with a 5-13 record.
Radio
Mississippi River Radio will broadcast selected games throughout the 2006-07 Saluki women's basketball season. Mike Reis or Rick Gregg will call the play-by-play action. These selected broadcasts can be heard locally on WCIL 1020 AM or WUEZ 95.1 FM. The radio feed can also be heard live on the athletics website at www.siusalukis.com, using QuickTime software. Select games that are not being broadcast by Mississippi River Radio will be webcast live on www.siusalukis.com by Patrick Erickson.
Postgame Interviews in SIU Arena
Postgame interviews at SIU Arena are held in the Saluki Room located at the top of the stairwell on the south end of Lingle Hall. Coaches and players will be available 10 minutes following the conclusion of each game.
Interviews During the Week
Please arrange all interviews of players and coaches through Shalae Schulte. She can be reached by phone at (618) 453-7102 (office) or (618) 201-6727 (cell) and via e-mail at sschulte@siu.edu.
www.siusalukis.com
The official website www.siusalukis.com is the best source for up-to-date information on the Saluki women's basketball team. Rosters, box scores, cumulative statistics, pre-game notes and other materials are available on the site. You will need Adobe Acrobat to read PDF files.
