Women's Basketball travels to UT Martin Sunday
12/16/2011 | 12:00:00 | Women's Basketball
Dec. 16, 2011
By Bill Ford
SIUSalukis.com
CARBONDALE, Ill.-- The Southern Illinois women's basketball team is back in action for the first time in more than a week as the Salukis travel to UT Martin Sunday.
GAME INFORMATION
Date: Sunday, Dec. 18
Time: 3 p.m. CST
Location: Martin, Tenn.
Site: Skyhawk Arena (5,000)
Radio: 810 WDDD-AM
Play-by-play by Patrick Erickson
Color commentary by Johnny Sole
TEAM FACTS
Southern Illinois Salukis (3-5)
Head Coach: Missy Tiber, Third Year (177-127 overall, 10-57 at SIU)
UT Martin Skyhawks (4-3)
Head Coach: Kevin McMillan, Third Year (36-35 overall and at UTM)
SIU VS. UT MARTIN
SIU leads the all-time series between the two teams 7-6, although the Skyhawks topped the Salukis 62-50 last season in Carbondale. UTM has lost four straight heading into the weekend as the Skyhawks have a matchup with Evansville Friday night before hosting SIU. UTM boasts two of the nations top scorers in guards Heather Butler and Jasmine Newsome, who both rank in the top 20 nationally with scoring averages over 20 points per game. Butler averages 20.6 points per game while Newsome averages 20.1 per game. Jaclissa Haislip is the Skyhawks' leading rebounder at 5.3 boards per game while Newsome averages 4.8 rebounds and Butler averages 4.0. Newsome leads the team with an average of 5.3 assists per game.
SALUKIS FALL AT WRIGHT STATE
Struggles from the free throw line cost SIU in a 61-59 loss to Wright State December 10 in Dayton, Ohio. The Salukis shot 57.1 percent from the charity stripe (16-for-28) on the day, missing six out of eight in the game's final minutes. Teri Oliver led Southern with 26 points in the loss while Cartaesha Macklin added 11 points and Brooke LeMar chipped in 10. Alexus Patterson led the Saluki rebounding effort with a career-best 13 boards.
SOUTHERN'S DYNAMIC DUO
SIU has two of the top four scorers in the MVC in guards Teri Oliver and Cartaesha Macklin. Oliver leads the MVC with an average of 19.5 points per game and Macklin ranks fourth at 15.3 points per game. Macklin has averaged 17.8 points per game in her last six games since being inserted into Southern's starting lineup, including a 27-point outing against IUPUI. Oliver opened the season with a career-high 32 points against Austin Peay and has since had 18 or more in five games. Whereas Oliver does most of damage from long range, with an MVC-leading average of 3.5 3-pointers made per game, Macklin scores by driving to the hoop and either making layups or drawing fouls. Macklin has been to the free throw line 55 times and ranks fifth in the Valley with a free throw percentage of 85.5 percent.
CLOSE ON THE ROAD
Southern carries a 1-3 record in road games this season, but the Salukis' road losses have been by a combined 11 points. SIU hasn't lost by more than six in any of their road losses and has held leads in the final minutes of each road loss. The Salukis will look to reverse this trend as they play their next four on the road.
FROM MO-VALLEY TO O-VALLEY
UT Martin is one of five Ohio Valley Conference programs SIU will face during the 2011-12 season. SIU lost to OVC member Austin Peay to open the season before topping Tennessee State November 22 and falling to SIU Edwardsville December 3 in overtime. The Salukis will also face Murray State during their non-conference slate. The Salukis are 119-38 all-time against the current roster of OVC schools.
SALUKIS BREAK RECORDS
Southern Illinois players Teri Oliver and CiCi Shannon both set new SIU records in recent weeks. Oliver hit three 3-pointers November 29 against Northern Illinois to overtake Karrie Redeker (1988-92) as Southern's all-time leader in career 3-pointers made. The Kokomo, Ind., native has made 173 treys for her Saluki career. She leads the MVC with an average of 3.5 3-pointers made per game. Shannon blocked three shots Dec. 8 in SIU's win over IUPUI to supplant Kathy Kampwerth (1985-89) as SIU's all-time leader in blocked shots. Shannon has blocked 108 shots in her career. She leads the MVC with an average of 3.3 blocks per game.
PUTTING POINTS ON THE BOARD
SIU's season scoring average of 65.6 points per game is well ahead of its average of 50.9 points per game last season. The Salukis have already had four 70-plus point games this season after having just one all of last season. Southern's 89 points against Tennessee State marked the highest offensive output for the Salukis since scoring 95 against Indiana State on Jan. 3, 2008.