Women's Basketball hosts Wright State Tuesday
12/13/2010 | 12:00:00 | Women's Basketball
Dec. 13, 2010
By Bill Ford
SIUSalukis.com
GAME INFORMATION
Date: Tuesday, Dec. 14
Time: 7:05 p.m. CST
Location: Carbondale, Ill.
Site: SIU Arena (8,500)
Radio: 810 WDDD-AM
Play-by-play by Patrick Erickson
Color commentary by Johnny Sole
Game Notes
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TEAM FACTS
Southern Illinois Salukis (1-7)
Head Coach: Missy Tiber, Second Year (173-101 overall, 6-31 at SIU)
Wright State Raiders (4-4)
Head Coach: Mike Bradbury, First Year (54-58 overall and 4-4 at WSU)
SCOUTING WRIGHT STATE
Wright State enters the matchup coming off a 74-70 loss to Longwood. The Raiders (4-4) are in their first season under coach Mike Bradbury, who compiled a career record of 50-44 in three seasons at Moorehead State prior to taking the Wright State job. The Raiders were picked eighth in the Horizon League preseason poll and WSU guard LaShawna Thomas was tabbed a preseason second-team all-conference selection. Thomas averaged 16.6 points through the Raiders' first eight games in addition to dishing out a team-leading 46 assists. Junior forward Molly Fox has also been a force for WSU early in the season, with averages of 12.0 points and 10.3 rebounds per game. Fox scored 18 points and pulled down 16 rebounds against Longwood.
SERIES WITH WRIGHT STATE
This will mark the first matchup between the two schools.
SALUKIS VS. HORIZON
SIU is 12-7 all-time against the current roster of team's from the Horizon League. The Salukis faced Horizon member Green Bay last season, falling to the Phoenix 75-64. The only team in the Horizon League Southern has faced more than twice is in-state member Illinois-Chicago, over which the Salukis hold a 9-4 all-time series edge.
SALUKIS STUMBLE IN THE JUNGLE
Southern turned the ball over a season-high 31 times and couldn't slow down IUPUI in a 65-48 loss at The Jungle. The Jaguars posted 20 steals and managed 16 more field goal attempts than the Salukis. Southern out-rebounded IUPUI 40-33, but couldn't find enough ways to capitalize. Teri Oliver led SIU with 14 points while Charnise Mitchell chipped in 13 and CiCi Shannon pulled down nine rebounds.
DAWG BITES
The Southern Illinois Basketball team is in its 52nd year of existence. Head Coach Missy Tiber is in her second season with the team and holds a 173-101 (.631) career record in her 10th season as a head coach. Last season the Salukis finished with a 5-24 record and were 4-14 in the Missouri Valley Conference. Southern returns five letterwinners and two starters from the 2009-10 squad and welcomes three transfers and eight freshmen.
INJURY ENDS CRAYTON'S SEASON
Saluki guard/forward Eboni Crayton's senior season came to an abrupt and tragic end as the Guys, Tenn., native suffered a torn meniscus and torn ACL when she collided with an opposing player late during SIU's Dec. 2 game against Saint Louis. She will have surgery to repair the knee, but will miss the remainder of the season in recovery. Crayton started four of five games for the Salukis prior to the injury and was often counted on to defend the opposing team's best guard.
PATTERSON LEAVES TEAM
SIU head coach Missy Tiber announced Monday, Dec. 13, that freshman point guard Olivia Patterson has left the team for personal reasons. Patterson played in eight games for the Salukis, starting once. She averaged 0.8 points and 1.8 rebounds in addition to recording six total assists and nine steals.
SWINGLER AT 600
Senior Katrina Swingler scored her 600th career point in Southern's Dec. 2 loss to Saint Louis. The Teutopolis, Ill., native is the only player on the Salukis' 2010-11 roster to play all four years in Carbondale. A fan favorite known for her blue-collar style of play, Swingler is averaging career bests of 8.8 points and 5.4 rebounds per game through SIU's first eight games.
WE'RE HOME EARLY
The Salukis have had plenty of time to get comfortable playing in the newly renovated SIU arena, having played five of their first six games at home. The Wright State matchup, however, is the only home contest the Dawgs will enjoy for the rest of the calendar year. Southern is now in a stretch where it will play six of seven games on the road. After Dec. 14, Southern will play four straight road games, including its conference opener Dec. 31 at Missouri State. The Salukis come back home again for their conference home opener Jan. 6 against Drake.
SHANNON'S BLOCK PARTY
SIU freshman center CiCi Shannon's average of 2.4 blocked shots per game ranks second in the MVC and 29th nationally through Dec. 12. The Hazel Crest, Ill., native's six blocks against Western Michigan Nov. 24 tied the second-highest single-game block total in school history while her five blocks Nov. 19 against Northern Illinois tied the fourth-highest mark. Krsitine Abramowski set the school record with seven blocks against Indiana State on Dec. 29, 1999.
FIRST WIN HISTORIC
The Salukis' 76-64 win over Austin Peay Nov. 28 marked the program's first win in the newly renovated SIU Arena. The Salukis are now 1-3 in the facility since the $29.9 million renovation. SIU women's basketball posted a175-132 record in the Arena prior to the upgrade, bringing the team's overall record in the facility to 176-135 (.566). SIU Arena has been the regular home of Saluki women's basketball since the 1987-88 season, although the team made sporadic appearances in the Arena prior to the permanent move.