Women's Basketball opens MVC play Friday at Illinois State
12/29/2011 | 12:00:00 | Women's Basketball
Dec. 29, 2011
By Bill Ford
SIUSalukis.com
CARBONDALE, Ill.-- The Southern Illinois women's basketball team opens Missouri Valley Conference play on the road Friday as the Salukis travel to Normal, Ill. to take on Illinois State.
GAME INFORMATION
Date: Friday, Dec. 30
Time: 6:05 p.m. CST
Location: Normal, Ill.
Site: Redbird Arena (10,200)
Radio: 810 WDDD-AM
Play-by-play by Patrick Erickson
Color commentary by Johnny Sole
Game Notes
Game Central Audio (pay)
TEAM FACTS
Southern Illinois Salukis (3-7, 0-0 MVC)
Head Coach: Missy Tiber, Third Year (177-129 overall, 10-59 at SIU)
Illinois State Redbirds (5-6, 0-0 MVC)
Head Coach: Stephanie Glance, Second Year (29-17 overall and at ISU)
SIU VS. ILLINOIS STATE
Southern trails its all-time series with Illinois State 52-44. The Redbirds have won seven straight in the series with the last Saluki win coming March 6, 2008 in Normal, Ill. ISU enters the weekend coming off a tough end to its non-conference schedule in which the Redbirds dropped four of their final five non-conference games to BCS opponents. ISU has spread out its scoring through the start of the season as four Redbirds average double figures, led by senior Katie Broadway's 15.0 points per game. Also for Illinois State, Marley Hall averages 10.8 points and 6.6 rebounds, Jamie Russell averages 10.5 points and Candace Sykes averages 10.2 points and a team-leading 6.9 rebounds per game.
HEADING INTO THE VALLEY
SIU enters its Missouri Valley Conference slate looking to end a streak of 18 consecutive losses in conference play after going winless in the Valley a year ago. Southern's 18-game MVC skid ranks third in conference history. The Salukis are 15-14 all-time in conference openers.
SLOW START DOOMS SIU IN 93-67 LOSS AT NO. 21-19 DEPAUL
SIU's season-high 49 second-half points were more than any other team has scored in a half against the nationally-ranked Blue Devils. Unfortunately, they weren't enough to make up for a 33-point halftime deficit after DePaul ran out to a 51-18 halftime lead. Teri Oliver scored 25 points to lead Southern, going 8-for-10 from the free throw line and 5-for-9 from the 3-point line. Cartaesha Macklin chipped in 18 points, six rebounds and six assists for the Salukis.
20-POINT PERFORMANCES
Southern has had at least one player score 20 ore more points in five consecutive games now, and has had a 20-point scorer in seven out of 10 games this season. Each time the Salukis have had a player go over 20, it has been either junior guard Teri Oliver or freshman guard Cartaesha Macklin.
SOUTHERN'S DYNAMIC DUO
SIU has two of the top four scorers in the MVC in guards Teri Oliver and Cartaesha Macklin. Oliver ranks second in the MVC with an average of 19.8 points per game and Macklin ranks fourth in the Valley at 16.0 points per game. Through Dec. 21, Oliver ranked 25th nationally in scoring average. Macklin ranks fifth in the Valley with a free throw percentage of 83.8 percent and has made it to the line an MVC-leading 80 times.
MULTIPLES OF THREES
Junior guard Teri Oliver has made two or more 3-pointers in 16 consecutive games, which is the nation's longest active streak for consecutive games making multiple 3-pointers. Oliver leads the MVC with an average of 3.6 made 3-pointers per game. She ranked fourth nationally through Dec. 21 when the NCAA last released statistics.
SALUKIS STAY IN-STATE
SIU's 2011-12 schedule features matchups against seven different in-state schools. That is the most Illinois teams the Salukis have faced since the 1983-84 season. Southern is 227-134 all-time against other schools in the state of Illinois.