Southern Illinois University
7-13, 3-7MVC
Missouri State
7-14, 5-5MVC
Women's Basketball drops game to Missouri State on
02/08/2008 | 12:00:00 | Women's Basketball
Feb. 8, 2008
By Shalae Patrick
www.siusalukis.com
CARBONDALE, Ill. - The Southern Illinois women's basketball team shot just 32.8 percent (20-of-61) from the field and just 60 percent (12-of-20) from the free throw line as Missouri State led the entire contest en route to a 78-58 victory over the Salukis Friday night at SIU Arena.
The Lady Bears (7-14, 5-5 MVC) handed the Salukis (7-13, 3-7 MVC) their fourth-straight loss in front of the largest home crowd of the season (2,969) and third-largest crowd in program history. The game marked the second annual "Pink Out" of SIU Arena for breast cancer awareness.
Missouri State came out to a quick 10-2 lead in the first five minutes of play, leading the entire contest.
The Bears' largest lead of the first half came at the end on a jumper by Tahnee Balerio, who put up two of her game-high 18 points with 21 seconds left in the first period to take a 38-21 lead into the locker room at the break.
Erica Smith scored two of her team-high 17 points with 7:44 left to play to bring the Salukis within 10, 55-45, but that's as close as they would get as the Bears pulled back up by 20 three more times, out-scoring 23-to-13 in the final seven minutes of play.
Smith also added a game-high 13 boards, four assists and two steals on the night, while Erin Pauk added 13 points and an assist.
Missouri State put four players in double-digits including 18 each from Balerio and Maggie Dwyer. Tiff Terwelp, added 15 points, 11 boards, while Tiffany Coppage came off the bench for 11.
The Bears shot nearly 50 percent from the field (27-of-55), including 47 percent from the 3-point line (8-of-17), out-rebounding the Salukis by four (38-34). Southern won the battle of the boards in the second half, 16-to-14, but was out-boarded by eight (24-16) in the first half when MSU jumped out to their 17-point lead.
The Salukis return to action Sunday, Feb. 10 against Wichita State for a 2:05 p.m. tip-off in SIU Arena.
