Southern Illinois University
2-1, 0-0MVC
Memphis
2-3, 0-0AAC
Salukis impress in 82-75 victory over Memphis
11/26/2014 | 12:00:00 | Women's Basketball
By Tyler Wooten
SIUSalukis.com
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Southern Illinois rode a 50 percent clip from the field and 19 assists to an impressive 82-75 victory over Memphis at the SIU Arena on Wednesday night.
The Salukis (2-1, 0-0 MVC) led by as many as 14 over the Tigers (2-3, 0-0 AAC), who only held one lead 55 seconds into the game. Southern was hot from the field, hitting 50 percent of its shots, making this season the first in the previous five that SIU has shot 50 percent or better in multiple games. SIU shared the wealth with four in double-figure scoring, but also had 19 assists and eight blocks to help in the winning effort.
From the 17:27 mark in the first half onward, the Salukis never looked back. Southern led by 10 points at halftime, and even though the Tigers outscored the Salukis in the second half, SIU never let them get closer than four points the remainder of the game. The Salukis took extreme care of the ball in the first half with only two turnovers, but the press by Memphis in the second half forced some SIU mistakes that allowed the Tigers to try and claw their way back into the game.
However, Southern maintained the course on offense and were helped by a couple big plays. With 9:48 to play, freshman Celina VanHyfte -- in to give Dyana Pierre some rest -- nabbed a huge rebound and put it back to keep the Tigers at bay by six. Then, with 5:50 to play, redshirt junior Cartaesha Macklin made a beautiful pass to freshman Kylie Giebelhausen for the layup and the foul to extend Southern's lead to a game-high total of 14. Most impressively, SIU did all of this without taking a free throw until the 8:01 mark in the second half.
"I think our kids are really unselfish," Stein said. "I think they moved the ball really well. I think they get really excited to make the assist versus the score -- that's a big thing. Cartaesha Macklin and Kylie Giebelhausen are just tremendous passers and that really helps."
Tonight's win comes off the heels of a tough loss at Wright State on Nov. 22 (70-50) and a stunning victory over 2014 NCAA Tournament team UT Martin on Nov. 14 (87-78).
"I'm proud of our team," said SIU head coach Cindy Stein. "I think we rebounded well from the Wright State game and came out here and fought hard. Obviously we were hitting some big shots and that really got us going. Azia Washington was on fire in the first half, and I really think it helped lift our defense and we just grinded it out in the second half. I'm just really proud of the way we hung in there."
"I think the last loss really woke us up," Washington said. "We have big expectations for this year. When you get a loss like that when you really think that you're going to be rolling, it kind of woke us up and said, `Hey, we're not here yet.'"
The offense ran through Washington early on, who scored 16 of her 18 points in the first half thanks to a career-high 4-of-6 mark from beyond the arc. Entering tonight, she had five three-point field goals her entire Saluki career.
"I think Azia Washington hitting those threes helped pull people out and then they couldn't just sag in on Dyana (Pierre)," Stein said.
Washington and preseason All-MVC center Dyana Pierre were a dynamic offensive duo, combining for 41 points and 22 rebounds on 17-of-28 shooting. Pierre recorded her 23rd career double-double with 23 points and 15 boards on a highly-efficient 10-of-13 clip from the field.
Redshirt sophomore point guard Rishonda Napier marshaled the efficient Saluki offense, chipping in 17 points and seven assists along the way. Tonight's performance makes three straight double-digit scoring outings for Napier in three games this season -- the fourth such time she has done so in her Saluki career. Macklin chipped in five assists of her own, as did freshman Kylie Giebelhausen.
Giebelhausen got her first career start tonight, but there were no first-start jitters as she scored five of SIU's first nine points in the game and blocked two Tiger shots before the first media timeout. She finished with 10 points, five assists, four rebounds and five of SIU's eight blocks. Five blocks is more than any Saluki had last season.
"(I was) a little nervous, but at the same time I don't know the other teams we're playing yet and I don't have a background so I don't psyche myself out," Giebelhausen said. "(Hitting those early shots) was definitely a confidence booster. Once I made those I was ready to go."
"What I've seen in film and practice -- and this is why she earned her start -- is that she does all the little things right," Stein said. "She knows where every single kid should be on the floor so she can help direct traffic, she's a good leader, she makes good decisions out there and obviously she's a good shooter."
This is Southern's first home opening victory since 2008, and it is also the first time the Salukis have started out 2-1 since that same season.
"(Tonight)'s a good win for us, but we don't want this to be the shining moment," Stein said. "We just need to stay focused on getting better every game."
Next up for Southern is a visit from regional foe Southeast Missouri on Friday night, who flew past SIU, 72-50, in Cape Girardeau last season. Tipoff is scheduled for 6:05 p.m. in the SIU Arena.
"We want revenge from last year," Washington said. "We definitely have that on our backs knowing how it went last year."
