Southern Illinois University
4-4
Illinois
6-1
Salukis hang tough in 78-64 loss at Illinois
12/08/2015 | 12:00:00 | Women's Basketball
By: Will Becque
SIUSalukis.com
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - The Southern Illinois women's basketball team led by two with five minutes to play in the third quarter, but the Salukis (4-4) upset-bid of Big Ten foe Illinois (6-1) fell just short Tuesday night at the State Farm Center, as the Illini prevailed, 78-64.
Redshirt senior Dyana Pierre tallied her Missouri Valley Conference-leading third double-double of the season with 14 points and 12 rebounds while junior Rishonda Napier finished with 14 points and six assists. Redshirt senior Cartaesha Macklin scored 11 points and added six rebounds and two steals.
"I thought we played really hard," said head coach Cindy Stein. "We were a little flat in the first half, but we hung in there. And I really thought we would come out with a lot more energy, and I guess when you can see where you can take the game- they're not doing well and you can take the game- we just have to find some kids with energy."
The Salukis battled for most of the game, coming back from an early 12-point deficit to go to the locker room at the half tied, 35-35. Southern trailed by just five after three quarters, but appeared to run out of gas in the fourth. The Illini capitalized, outrebounding SIU 12-3 in the final quarter, including five offensive rebounds that led to nine points.
"We needed to have a lot of energy on the boards and their offensive boards just killed us throughout the game," said Stein.
The Illini outrebounded the Salukis, 43-to-35, and scored 21 points off of second chance opportunities.
Southern's reserves, however, outscored Illinois', 15-12. Freshman Olivia Bowling played a season-high eight minutes off the bench, while senior Azia Washington scored seven points and grabbed two rebounds in six minutes and junior Carlie Corrigan chipped in four points.
"We have to get more energy off the bench. I thought Olivia Bowling did that. I thought Carlie (Corrigan) did that, at times. Azia did what she could," said Stein.
The Salukis continued to take care of the basketball, tying a season-low of 10 turnovers, and finished the contest with a +4 assist-to-turnover ratio, marking the third straight game that they have ended the game with more assists than turnovers.
"We knew we had to take care of the ball," said Stein. "They score a lot off of other teams turnovers, so that was definitely an emphasis. I felt like our shots weren't quite what we needed them to be, but I thought our kids fought hard and, for the most part, we defended (Illinois) pretty well... just a few possessions and its a different ballgame."
The two teams traded baskets for much of the first quarter, with Illinois opening the contest with a 6-2 spurt. The Salukis responded with a pair of free throws by Macklin and a three from Napier that got Southern to within one (8-7). The Illini answered with another three, their third of the quarter, to push their lead to four (11-7), but a Macklin jumper and a Giebelhausen three tied the contest at 12-12. Illinois outscored Southern, 8-5 over the remainder of the period to lead by just three, 20-17 at the break.
SIU opened the second quarter with a jumper by Corrigan that got the Salukis to within one (20-19), but Illinois went on a 13-2 run to take its largest lead of the first half at 33-21 with 5:05 remaining. Southern went to work, closing the half on a 14-2 run, keyed by four of Washington's seven first half points to tie the contest, 35-35.
The Salukis continued to hang around, taking their first lead of the second half with a three by Macklin with 7:53 showing on the clock in the third. The two sides again traded baskets, with the score tied 51-51 with 3:19 left in the third. The Illini answered with seven-straight points before a Macklin layup stopped the run and cut the deficit to five, 58-53 at the end of the third stanza.
Southern again got to within five, 60-55 with a Corrigan jumper early in the fourth, but that was as close as the upset-minded Salukis could get.
The Salukis are back in action on Saturday, Dec. 12 when they host Morehead State at 3 p.m.
