Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Women's Basketball to host Evansville on Senior Day
03/06/2009 | 12:00:00 | Women's Basketball
March 6, 2009
www.siusalukis.com
Game Facts
Date/Time: March 1, 2 p.m. CST
Site: Carbondale, Ill. - SIU Arena (9,409)
Head Coaches: Dana Eikenberg (90-165 overall, 52-91 at SIU)
Misty Murphy (11-17 overall and at UE)
Radio: 810 AM Patrick Erickson (play-by-play), Julie Beck (color)
Video Webcast: N/A
Audio Webcast: www.siusalukis.com
Livestats: www.siusalukis.com
Series: SIU trails the series, 18-19
Last Meeting: UE def. SIU at Evansville, 70-65
Up Next: The Salukis will travel to St. Charles, Mo. for the MVC Tournament
Scouting Evansville
The Evansville Purple Aces return three starters from a team that went 21-12 overall and 13-5 in the Missouri Valley, good for a tie for first-place in the league a year ago. This season, the team is 11-17 overall and 4-13 in the MVC, led by first-year head coach Misty Murphy. UE has four players averaging double-figures led by Ashley Austin with 13.0 points, 5.1 rebounds 3.3 assists and 2.3 steals per game. Amy Gallagher adds 10.9 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists and Robyn Jennings, 10.6 points and a team-high 6.2 rebounds per contest. Shannon Novosel also averages double-digits with 10.3 points and 6.1 boards per game.
SIU/UE Series History
Southern Illinois will meet Evansville for the 38th time in program history. SIU trails the series, 19-18. UE has taken eight of the last 10 meetings, taking both meetings last season with a 77-67 victory in Evansville and a 71-61 win in SIU Arena. Earlier this season, the Purple Aces beat the Salukis in Roberts Stadium, 70-65. The Salukis are 9-8 at home against the Aces.
Salukis Play for Eighth
The Southern Illinois (4-13) women's basketball team is playing for an eight seed in next week's Missouri Valley Conference Tournament. If the Salukis win, and Wichita State (3-14) loses their final game, SIU will have the No. 8 seed and face Evansville (4-13) - the no. 9 seed - for the second time in six days. Either way, Southern Illinois, Evansville and Wichita State will each take the 8, 9 or 10 seeds depending on the outcome of play this weekend.
Gibson Hits 1,000 in 100
Saluki senior Jasmine Gibson made a jumper with 12-minutes remaining in regulation at Drake, Feb. 12, to become the 20th player in SIU program history to hit the 1,000-point plateau. Gibson hit the mark in her 100th-career game and posts a career average of 10.2 points per contest. She is one of 17 four-year players to average double-digit career scoring and the first since Molly McDowell (1999-2003). She is the 21st Saluki in program history to reach 900 points.
Bailey to Join Smith, Gibson in Century Club
When senior guard Kaci Bailey steps on the floor Saturday it will be in her 100th career game. She will be the 34th Saluki to reach this milestone, joining fellow seniors Erica Smith and Jasmine Gibson in the elite club. In her fourth season as a Saluki, Erica Smith has seen action in 116 games in her career. The 32nd Saluki to play in 100 career games, she is ranked sixth on the all-time list at SIU. If Smith sees action in the final two regular-season games she will be fourth all-time at SIU. Smith's teammate Jasmine Gibson hit the century mark Feb. 12 at Drake, the 33rd Saluki to play in 100 games.
Smith Reaches 900 in Career Game
Erica Smith recorded the best offensive game of her career Friday, Feb. 27 at Wichita State. The senior guard put up a personal-best 29 points, 11 rebounds, four assists, a block and two steals in Charles Koch Arena. With those 29 points, she eclipsed Shocker assistant coach Carlai Moore (890) on the all-time scoring list at SIU and hit the 900-point plateau, the 22nd Saluki to hit that mark.
Home Sweet Home
The Salukis are 7-5 playing at SIU Arena this season, including winning three of four games at home during a four-game home stand Jan. 29 through Feb. 7, the longest of the season.
Smith Working Way into the Books
In four years at Southern Illinois, Saluki senior Erica Smith has quietly worked her way into the record books. When she leaves SIU, she will rank in the top-15 in games played (116, sixth), 3-point percentage (.358, fifth), steals (164, sixth) and rebounds (602, 13th). She currently ranks 22nd all-time in scoring with 919 points.
Smith Academic All-District
Senior guard Erica Smith was one of 11 student-athletes named to the 2009 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District V Women's Basketball Team selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). Smith, who carries a 3.73 GPA in business management and marketing, garnered second-team honors. The senior has been named to the Missouri Valley Conference scholar-athlete team in 2007 and 2008.
Smith Endures
Saluki senior Erica Smith has played every minute of 11 games in her four-year career at SIU, including eight this season. She has played 40-plus minutes in 10 games this season, and played over 35 minutes in 36 games in her career.
Eikenberg Hits Half-Century Mark
Saluki head coach Dana Eikenberg picked up her 50th win at SIU with a victory over Missouri State Jan. 31. Eikenberg, in her fifth season with SIU and ninth season as a Division I head coach, is 52-91 at SIU and 90-165 overall. In four seasons at the University of Missouri-Kansas City she was 38-74, helping to rebuild the Kangaroos program.
Senior Power
The 2008-09 team has three seniors, Jasmine Gibson, Kaci Bailey and Erica Smith. At least one senior has started all 26 games for the Salukis this season. Against Central Arkansas Dec. 16 the seniors combined to make up 52 of SIU's 69 points in the win. Against Wichita State Jan. 29, all three seniors hit double-digits in the overtime victory. In 21 of 26 games this season, a senior has led the Salukis in scoring.
Smith on the Boards
Saluki senior Erica Smith is one of six guards in the country to lead her team in rebounds the last two seasons and one of 15 to lead her team last season. Smith averaged 6.8 boards last season to lead the Salukis and rank fifth in the Missouri Valley Conference. As a sophomore, Smith also led the Salukis with a 5.4 RPG average. This season, Smith leads the Salukis with 6.6 rebounds per contest.
In at Least Six Wins This Season the Salukis...
- Played at home
- Shot between 40 and 50 percent from the field
- Shot better than their opponent
- Made more 3-pointers
- Outrebounded their opponents
- Held opponents to 76 points or less
- Scored over 60 points
Starters Spur Offense
After 26 games this season, the Salukis have two players averaging double-digits, both starters. SIU's starters have contributed to 77 percent (1197 of 1563 points) of the Salukis' offense this season.
Saluki Starters
In 26 games this season, the Salukis have used 10 different lineups. The only players to start 24 of 25 games are seniors Jasmine Gibson and Erica Smith, each absent in one starting lineup, while sophomore Katrina Swingler started all but seven contests.
SIU in Non-Conference Play
Dana Eikenberg has guided the Salukis to a 20-34 record in non-conference play. When playing in SIU Arena, Eikenberg's teams are 12-9.
In March
SIU is 49-55 all-time in the month of March since 1974-75, including a 6-10 mark under Dana Eikenberg.
Salukis vs. the State
Southern Illinois 226-121 versus other schools in the state of Illinois. Eikenberg is 8-20 against the state.
Best Non-Conference Since...
The Salukis are 4-5 this season in non-conference play this season. It is the best non-conference record since 2001-02.
Salukis in Overtime
Southern Illinois is 19-15 overall in single overtime games since 1974. The Salukis are 1-2 in overtime games this season. Sunday, December 14 at Chicago State, SIU fell in OT ending a two-game win-streak in overtime contests. Southern is 0-2 in double overtime games. This is the first time since 1978-79 that SIU has played in three overtime games in one season. In 1989-90, the Salukis played in a program-high four overtime games in a season.
"Pink Out" Success
Saturday, Feb. 21, 2009, Southern hosted the third annual "Pink Out" night in SIU Arena, the final attendance, 2,082, sixth all-time in program history. In the season-opener against Missouri in 2006-07, the Salukis set a new single-game record of 3,367. At the first annual "Pink Out" of SIU Arena that same season, Southern had 3,055, second all-time.
