Southern Illinois University
7-5
Marshall
10-1
Southern Illinois Drops Close Game To Marshall
12/28/2015 | 12:00:00 | Women's Basketball
By: Will Becque
SIUSalukis.com
CARBONDALE, Ill. - Three Salukis scored in double figures, but it wasn't enough as Marshall (10-1) closed on 9-2 run to sink the Southern Illinois women's basketball team (7-5), 61-55, Monday afternoon inside the SIU Arena.
Redshirt senior guard Cartaesha Macklin led the way for the Salukis with 15 points on 7-of-9 shooting and four rebounds. Redshirt junior guard Rishonda Napier added 12 points of her own, and sits just two points shy of 1,000 for her career, while redshirt senior Dyana Pierre finished with 12 points, seven rebounds, three blocks and two steals.
"We only had four turnovers in the first half and we ended the game with 18, so that kind of tells you the tale of the two halves, you've got to take care of the ball," head coach Cindy Stein said. "That zone should not have thrown us for a loop. Unfortunately, we did not make good decisions in any spot on the floor. We tried to keep it really simple. I think fatigue was a big factor today. Our kids were on break and I don't think they did anything. That happens when you take four days off like that."
Southern led by as many as 11 points in the first-half, taking a 38-27 lead into the break. Pierre and Macklin teamed together to score 19 of the Salukis' 38 first-half points. Junior Celina VanHyfte scored all eight of her points in the first half on 3-of-4 shooting, including 2-of-2 from beyond the arc. The two made threes were the first two of her collegiate career.
"To be honest, in practice it's normally about 50/50, but I was very happy that I was able to make those (two threes) for the team," said VanHyfte.
The Salukis took good care of the basketball, turning the ball over just four times, while committing just four first half fouls and forcing nine Thundering Herd turnovers. Southern made an effort to get the ball down low and it showed with the Salukis hitting 47-percent (17-of-36) of their first-half shots. SIU also hit on four of its 10 3-point attempts in the first twenty minutes.
Marshall jumped out to an 8-2 run to start the second-half to cut the deficit down to five, 40-35 with 7:24 remaining in the third quarter. The Salukis maintained their advantage throughout the third, leading 47-43 at the break.
Southern led by as many as five in the final stanza, with a Kim Nebo layup giving SIU a 52-47 lead with 7:28 to play. The lead was short lived, however, as Chelsea Romero, Leah Scott and Norrisha Victrum each had a pair of baskets down the stretch for the visitors as they outscored the Salukis, 14-2 in the final 7:28 to leave the Arena victorious.
The Thundering Herd forced several key turnovers and held the Salukis to only eight points in the final ten minutes of play.
"We've just got to get back to the fundamentals," said Stein. "This is the reason we play a game like this honestly. We want to win a game like this, but Marshall is a very good opponent and they were obviously good enough for us today. But, I don't feel like Marshall beat us; I feel like we beat ourselves."
The Salukis will look to get back to their winning ways as they begin Valley play against the Drake Bulldogs on Friday, Jan. 1 in Des Moines, Iowa. The game will be broadcast on ESPN3.
