Southern Illinois University
6-4
Mercer
6-5
Women's Basketball escapes with win over Mercer
12/19/2015 | 12:00:00 | Women's Basketball
By: Will Becque
SIUSalukis.com
MACON, Ga. - The Southern Illinois University women's basketball team had three score in double figures as the Salukis escaped with a 55-52 win at Mercer University on Saturday, Dec. 19 inside Hawkins Arena.
The Salukis (6-4) were led by redshirt junior Rishonda Napier with 20 points on a career-high tying six 3-pointers. Redshirt senior Dyana Pierre notched her fifth double-double of the season, finishing with 13 points and 11 boards, while redshirt senior Cartaesha Macklin added 15 points, seven rebounds and three assists.
"It was a hard fought victory," said head coach Cindy Stein. "We played really well at times, and we played really poor at times- but I think that has to do with Mercer too. (Mercer) made great adjustments, they were really causing some problems underneath for us and unfortunately we kept going there when we need to look for other options. This game definitely makes us better."
Sophomore Kylie Giebelhausen tied a career-high with eight rebounds, while junior Kim Nebo finished with five boards off the bench, with no rebound bigger than her tip out of her own missed free throw with under :06 to play.
"That was a key rebound that we got," said Stein. "There were some things down the stretch that we needed to clean up, but for the most part our energy and our effort won the game when some of the other factors weren't going well."
The Salukis shot just 30-percent (19-of-63) from the field, but out-rebounded the Bears, 43-to-30 and forced 16 turnovers.
The Bears got on the scoreboard first, making the game's first two baskets to take an early 4-0 lead. The Salukis answered with two straight 3-pointers by Napier to take a 6-4 advantage with 6:58 to go in the first. Mercer took the lead back with consecutive baskets, before Napier's third three gave SIU its final lead of the first quarter, 9-8. The Bears closed the opening period on 9-2 run, leading 17-11 at the break.
After Mercer pushed its lead to ten, 21-11, with just under nine minutes to play in the second quarter, Southern found its rhythm behind Pierre, who scored all seven of her second quarter points to help Southern pull to within two (24-22). On the next Saluki possession, Macklin dished off to Napier, who knocked down her fourth three of the half to give Southern its first lead of the second quarter at 25-24. The Bears responded with a three of their own, but again sank down in the post on Pierre, leaving Napier open and she made the home team pay, draining her fifth three of the half. Giebelhausen sank Southern's sixth three to put the Salukis ahead, 33-30 at the intermission.
Mercer opened the third quarter on a 7-2 run, taking a 37-35 lead on a three by Kahlia Lawrence. The two sides traded baskets for the remainder of the period, with the score tied, 44-44 at the end of the third.
The Salukis began the fourth with an effort play by Macklin, who grabbed her seventh rebound and drew contact on a layup to give SIU a 47-44 lead. From there, Southern went on a 6-2 run, taking its largest lead of the game at 53-46. Mercer went on a 6-0 spurt to cut SIU's lead down to one (53-52) with under a minute to play. After the Bears got a defensive stop, Nebo grabbed a rebound with six seconds to play and was immediately fouled. After Nebo's second free throw rolled out, she tipped the ball to Macklin, who took three seconds off the clock before drawing the foul and making both to put Southern back ahead by three, 55-52. With :02.2 seconds showing on the game clock, Mercer got a good look at a game-tying three, but it clanked off the front iron.
The Salukis will next travel to SEMO on Dec. 22. Tipoff is set for 12 p.m.
