Southern Illinois University
2-21, 0-12
Evansville
8-15, 3-9
Evansville tops Women's Basketball 59-45
02/12/2011 | 12:00:00 | Women's Basketball
Feb. 12, 2011
By Bill Ford
SIUSalukis.com
CARBONDALE, Ill. — Evansville held off the Southern Illinois women's basketball team's second-half push in a 59-45 win over the Salukis Saturday at SIU Arena.
Southern (2-21, 0-12 MVC) outscored the Purple Aces (8-15, 3-9) 32-30 in the second half, but couldn't overcome a 29-13 halftime deficit. Southern's halftime point total tied its season low for points in a half.
"I thought our intensity level was nowhere near where it needed to be on either end of the court in the first half. We were just very flat," said SIU coach Missy Tiber. "Our offensive woes are going to continue when we walk around on the offensive end of the court."
Southern kept with Evansville early in the first half, trailing just 5-4 through the first four minutes. The next 10 minutes, however, were a different story. Evansville posted an 18-2 run during that span, and the Salukis' only points came on a pair of free throws.
SIU finally broke its field goal drought with a layup by senior Katrina Swingler at the 6:44 mark, and Swingler hit another jumper a minute later to pull within 23-10. For a while, it looked as if Swingler's baskets would be Southern's only points the rest of the half as the Salukis again went on another scoreless run. Sophomore Teri Oliver got a 3-pointer to fall with 36 seconds left, however, to avoid the lowest scoring half in program history.
"There are just a lot of things offensively we cannot do," Tiber said. "We just aren't good enough to do some things. We're just a team with serious offensive struggles."
SIU came out of the locker room much improved as the Salukis started the half on a 6-0 run to pull within 29-19. Tiber said the team's defensive intensity was a huge improvement in the second frame, as Southern held the Aces scoreless through the first five minutes of the half.
"In the second half, I thought we were better. Our defense, at times, I thought was very good," Tiber said. "We were getting some stops, we were actually getting some fast break layups here and there."
Evansville eventually got things rolling, but the Salukis kept the Aces in check. Though Southern never got any closer than 10 points, the Salukis didn't allow any big Evansville runs like they did in the first half. Southern kept the margin within 11-to-14 points through most of the half, but never could find a way to get over the hump because of the Aces' timely 3-point shooting.
"They hit three threes in about a two minute span that kind of sealed the deal for them," Tiber said. "Threes will just kill your intensity level when you have been playing defense so well."
Tiber said a big key to Southern's second-half turnaround was the play of freshman point guard Brooke LeMar. LeMar had no assists and two turnovers at halftime, but posted five assists with no turnovers in the second half.
"Brooke got chewed on pretty good at the half," Tiber said. "When she plays with some confidence and plays really hard, she can be really good. I thought she was really good in the second half."
Oliver led Southern with nine points while Swingler had eight points and 10 rebounds. The Salukis will be back in action Feb. 17 against Northern Iowa at SIU Arena.
