Southern Illinois University
7-13, 3-8MVC
Northern Iowa
7-14, 5-6MVC
Women's Basketball shuts down Northern Iowa, 58-40
02/07/2009 | 12:00:00 | Women's Basketball
Feb. 7, 2009
By Shalae Patrick
www.siusalukis.com
CARBONDALE, Ill. - The Southern Illinois (7-13, 3-8) women's basketball team held Northern Iowa's (7-14, 5-6) offense to its lowest point-total of the season, taking down the Panthers, 58-40, in Missouri Valley Conference play at SIU Arena Saturday afternoon.
"I'm just really proud of this team form coming back from a tough one on Thursday," Saluki head coach Dana Eikenberg said. "I thought that they showed a lot of resiliency in a game that we told them it was a must win game for us."
The Salukis forced five turnovers and held the Panthers scoreless from the field for nearly the first eight minutes of the game. UNI's first four points of the contest came on free throws.
Kim Wypiszynski scored UNI's first bucket at the 12:18 mark for two of her game-high 14 points.
The Panther drought helped the Salukis jump out to a quick 10-2 lead. UNI threatened twice coming within one point, the last time, 12-11, with just under nine minutes in the half.
The Salukis answered with a 16-to-1 run, including back-to-back 3-pointers by Kaci Bailey, to go up by 16, 28-12.
At the break, the Salukis maintained that 16-point lead, 35-19.
Southern shut down Northern Iowa's inside game in the first half, holding the Panthers to just two points in the paint, 4-of-16 from the field.
"I think that we forced their post players a little bit away from the rim which put a little more pressure on them," Eikenberg added. "It didn't make the inside shots look so open."
In the second half, SIU held the lead between 17 and 22 points, forcing the lowest scoring offense in the MVC this season to its lowest point-total of the season.
Jasmine Gibson and Alex Hart led the Salukis with 11 points each. Gibson added six boards and three steals, while Hart chipped in an assist and a steal. Defensively, Hart held UNI's second-leading scorer and top 3-point shooter, Nicole Clausen, scoreless in the contest.
Erica Smith pitched in 10 points and five rebounds before fouling out of the game.
Karlee Myers and Adrianne Griffith had big games off the bench for the Salukis. Myers finished with seven points and two rebounds, while Griffith added six points and a career-best nine rebounds.
The Salukis return to action at Drake Thursday, Feb. 12, for a 7 p.m. tip-off.
