Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Salukis travel to Evansville Sunday
01/11/2013 | 12:00:00 | Women's Basketball
Jan. 11, 2013
By Bill Ford
SIUSalukis.com
CARBONDALE, Ill. — The Southern Illinois women's basketball team looks for its second-consecutive Missouri Valley Conference win Sunday as the Salukis travel to Evansville.
GAME INFORMATION
Date: Sunday, Jan. 13
Time: 1 p.m. CST
Location: Evansville, Ind.
Site: Ford Center (9,640)
Radio: WVZA 105.1 FM
Play-by-play by Bryce Williams
Color commentary by Johnny Sole
Saluki All Access (live audio)
Saluki Women's Basketball Twitter
TEAM FACTS
Southern Illinois Salukis (4-9, 1-1 MVC)
Head Coach: Missy Tiber, Fourth Year (186-153 overall, 19-83 at SIU)
Evansville Purple Aces (3-10, 1-1 MVC)
Head Coach: Oties Epps, Second Year (8-35 overall and at UE)
SIU VS. EVANSVILLE
The Salukis and Purple Aces both look to move above .500 in league play with a win Sunday. SIU leads the all-time series between the two teams 23-22. One team or the other has swept the matchup the last three seasons — SIU swept last season as well as the 2009-10 season while Evansville won both games in 2010-11. The Purple Aces enter the matchup at 3-10 overall with a 1-1 record in league play after beating Drake and falling to Creighton last week. Recently eligible transfer Mallory Ladd leads UE with averages of 15.5 points and 10.4 rebounds per game in four games with the Aces. Senior center Samantha Heck is second behind Ladd with averages of 14.1 points and 7.8 rebounds per game while sophomore guard Khristian Hart averages 12.8 points per game.
LAST TIME THEY MET
The Salukis swept the Purple Aces last season, winning 74-60 in Evansville and 72-46 in Carbondale. Teri Oliver led SIU with 20 points while Cartaesha Macklin added 18 in the win at the Ford Center while Samantha Heck paced the Aces with 21 points and 9 rebounds. At SIU Arena, all 11 Salukis that entered the game scored led by 15 points from Macklin and 14 points from Oliver while Alexus Patterson turned in a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Meagan Collins paced UE with 18 points while Heck had a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
LEADING THE SALUKIS
Sophomore guard Cartaesha Macklin leads SIU and ranks sixth in the MVC with an average of 14.2 points per game while freshman guard Rishonda Napier is second on the team at 11.3 points per game. Freshman center Dyana Pierre ranks second in the MVC in rebounding at 9.0 per game and is tied for the league lead with an average of 1.4 blocks per game. Macklin leads the Salukis and ranks third in the Valley with an average of 4.0 assists per game.
SALUKIS PICK UP FIRST VALLEY WIN
SIU knocked down a school-record 15 3-pointers in a 77-70 win over Drake Jan. 5 at SIU Arena. Rishonda Napier went 5-for-7 from long range to pace the Salukis with 19 points while Jordyn Courier also hit five treys to finish with 16 points. Also for the Salukis, Cartaesha Macklin finished with 13 points, nine assists and eight rebounds, Jameeka Bouie added 11 points and Azia Washington chipped in 14 boards.
SALUKIS BREAK 3-POINT RECORD
SIU broke a school record for 3-pointers made in a game with 15 in last Saturday's win over Drake. That total is also tied for eighth-most in MVC history. SIU had five different players hit a three against the Bulldogs with Rishonda Napier and Jordyn Courier each knocking down five. SIU's previous school record of 13 made 3-pointers came against Wright State on Dec. 14, 2010.
SALUKIS BALANCE SCORING
SIU has had seven different players lead the team in scoring thus far and nine players have scored in double figures at least once. Last Saturday's game against Drake marked the second time this season SIU has had four different players score in double figures.
BACK ON THE ROAD
After a week long layoff, the Salukis travel to Evansville Sunday for the first of a three-game road swing as Southern plays at Indiana State and Illinois State the following weekend. SIU is amidst a stretch during which it will play six of eight on the road.
MACKLIN DROPS DIMES
Cartaesha Macklin has increased her assist output in recent weeks, averaging 7.0 assists per game over SIU's last four games. She has jumped up to third in the MVC with an average of 4.0 per game on the season. She posted a career-best 10 assists to go along with 19 points December 29 at Chicago State, becoming the first Saluki to have a double-double in assists and points since Molly McDowell in 2003. She is just the third player to record double-digit assists in the last 10 seasons.
