Southern Illinois University
6-13, 2-8MVC
Bradley
15-6, 6-4MVC
Women's Basketball falls to Bradley at home, 60-48
02/05/2009 | 12:00:00 | Women's Basketball
Feb. 5, 2009
By Shalae Patrick
www.siusalukis.com
CARBONDALE, Ill. - The Southern Illinois (6-13, 2-8) women's basketball team shot just 29 percent from the field and 50 percent from the free throw line, falling at home to Bradley (15-6, 6-4), 60-48, Thursday night.
The Salukis were just 15-of-42 from the field and 14-of-28 from the charity stripe on the night to open the second half of Missouri Valley Conference play in SIU Arena.
"That was a good Bradley team and they deserved the win," Saluki head coach Dana Eikenberg said. "Any time the home team can't shoot above 50 percent from the free throw line, it doesn't deserve to win. I think free throws and missed layups were the name of the game."
Down, 32-19, at the break, the Salukis endured a four-minute drought, going 0-for-7 from the field, including three missed layups, and 0-for-5 from the free throw line to open the second period. A Jasmine Gibson jumper at the 15:43 mark put Southern back on the board, down 36-21.
The SIU defense held the BU offense in check forcing five turnovers during the drought, giving up just four points.
The Salukis surged back with a 7-to-2 run to pull within nine before the Braves pulled away again with three straight buckets and a free throw.
Southern would make one more run, sparked by an Alex Hart 3-pointer at 8:45. Gibson added a bucket and Erica Smith a layup and a free throw to pull within seven, but that is as close as Southern would get.
SIU couldn't capitalize on 22 BU turnovers, Bradley turning the Salukis 14 turnovers into 16 points.
The Braves were led by a game-high 20 from Monica Rogers. The senior forward was a perfect 10-of-10 from the free throw line.
For the seventh time this season, SIU was out-rebounded by over 10 boards. BU was led by Taylor Raisa who pulled down 10 rebounds to go with her 16 points, the lone double-double of the contest.
"I don't think that we had any spark," Eikenberg said. "We know when (Gibson and Smith) step up what that does for us. I don't think that was here tonight."
Hart led the Salukis with 11 points and three steals, while Gibson added 10 points and seven rebounds. Smith finished with nine points and three boards.
The Salukis wrap up a four-game home home stand Saturday with a 2:05 p.m. tip-off against Northern Iowa.
