Southern Illinois University
9-8 (2-4)
Missouri State
7-10 (4-2)
Salukis fall in dramatic contest against Missouri State, 61-57
01/23/2015 | 12:00:00 | Women's Basketball
By Tyler Wooten
SIUSalukis.com
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- The Salukis had the ball and a chance to tie with 13.9 seconds remaining, but weren't able to convert and ended up falling in an exciting game against Missouri State, 61-57, at JQH Arena on Friday night.
The Salukis (9-8, 2-4 MVC) had just crawled back out of a hole on an 8-3 run to come within one with 18 seconds left after a Cartaesha Macklin three-pointer (58-57). But, after two Missouri State (7-10, 4-2 MVC) free throws from NiJay Gaines the Lady Bears regained a 60-57 lead with 13.9 left in the game. Southern drew up a play to get a shooter on the wing after penetrating inside, but junior transfer point guard Blair Stephenson was stripped by Kenzie Williams (11 points, eight rebounds) on her way into the lane with 2.0 left on the clock.
"We wanted to look to penetrate and kick back out, but we didn't get that look," said SIU head coach Cindy Stein. "We didn't have that opportunity, but that's not where the game was lost. We lost the game in the middle of the half. They went on a little roll and we had a hard time recovering."
The roll Coach Stein refers to was a 10-0 Lady Bear run from 7:54 to 5:29 in the second half, a quick but deadly Saluki scoring drought that gave MSU some momentum and just large enough of a lead to stave off the charging Salukis late in the contest.
"It's frustrating because I really felt like this team fought hard," Stein said. "I'm very proud of our effort."
For the most part, it was an evenly-fought game between the Salukis and Lady Bears, who have now won 47 of the last 56 meetings against SIU dating back to 1990. Neither team shot particularly well, with Southern coming out on top at 40 percent to MSU's 38.2. The Salukis were able to out-rebound (39-35) an opponent for the 15th time this season in 17 games -- against the Valley's No. 2 rebounding team, no less. But, the difference in the game was MSU's 15-of-21 clip from the charity stripe (all coming in the second half) opposed to SIU's 4-of-8 line; and, SIU's 21 turnovers, the highest for Southern in 11 games and helped greatly by the defensive effort from MSU's Tyonna Snow (11 points, four steals, four rebounds).
"Snow turned things around a bit," Stein said. "She had a couple picks on us with some lazy passes, and those are the things we've got to get better. We were a little tired, and we made a lazy pass. Snow made a big difference in that second half."
The Saluki effort Friday night was all the more impressive once the absence of starting point guard Rishonda Napier is factored in. Napier missed her second straight game due to a dislocated shoulder suffered against Indiana State on Jan. 16, but several Salukis chipped in some solid performances that nearly led to an exciting SIU victory.
Freshman Kylie Giebelhausen was the offensive catalyst for the Salukis in the second half, scoring 12 of her career-high 16 points in the latter frame. Giebelhausen, who has made a name for herself from beyond the arc this season, showed some diversity in her game, driving to the lane more often than not. She was 7-of-15 from the field, and just 2-of-8 from three-point-land.
"I don't feel like it's my role (to step up in Napier's absence) as much as it's the team's role," Giebelhausen said. "Someone has to step up, and it's been a different person every game. Tonight it might have been me, but a different night it might be Dyana and another night it might be Azia."
"Kylie is just going to get better and better," Stein said. "(Driving to the lane) is something that she's been working on. She knows my rule with her: anytime she gets the ball in the paint she better put that sucker up. I thought she played hard. She missed some shots I think she wanted back, but I love the the fact she's attacking the glass because I know for a fact -- and I believe our players all know -- she's going to make the majority of those. She's just going to get better and find her own way of scoring in different ways."
Southern also got strong efforts out of Dyana Pierre (12 points, 13 rebounds), Cartaesha Macklin (nine points, eight assists, six rebounds) and Azia Washington (eight points, 10 rebounds). For Pierre, this is her 29th career double-double -- moving her just one away from a tie for ninth all-time in the Missouri Valley.
Up next, the Salukis will make the trek to Wichita State for a contest with the Valley's top-team on Sunday afternoon. Tipoff time has an approximate time set for 3:40 p.m. CST, but the official start time will be determined by the Wichita State-Drake men's basketball game earlier in the afternoon. The Salukis and Shockers will take to the floor in Koch Arena approximately 30 minutes after the men's game concludes.
"We know Wichita will be tough, that's a tough place to play," Stein said. "I really like the way we fought today, but the key for us is can we put two games back-to-back with that kind of physicality and that kind of effort that we had on display today."
