Salukis looking to bounce back against Wichita State on Sunday
02/21/2015 | 12:00:00 | Women's Basketball
| Games 26: Southern Illinois (15-10, 8-6 MVC) vs. Wichita State (21-4, 12-1 MVC) | |
| Date | Sunday, Feb. 22, 2015 | 2:05 p.m. |
| Location | Carbondale, Ill. -- SIU Arena (8,339) |
| Tickets | Tickets Home |
| Video | Saluki All-Access |
| Radio | WVZA 105.1 FM (1:45 airtime) |
| Audio Stream | Stretch Internet (free) |
| Notes | Southern Illinois | Wichita State | Missouri Valley |
| Season Stats | Southern Illinois | Wichita State | Missouri Valley |
| Live Stats | Gametracker | Valley Scoreboard |
| SIU Media Guide | Media Guide |
| Social Media | @SIU_WBasketball  | Facebook  |
By Tyler Wooten
SIUSalukis.com
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- The Saluki women's basketball team will close out its final full home weekend of conference play against MVC-leading Wichita State on Sunday afternoon at SIU Arena. Southern will be looking to recapture some of the magic from the last time the Shockers visited Carbondale, a dramatic 64-59 upset on Mar. 1, 2014.
TEAM FACTS
Southern Illinois Salukis (15-10, 8-6 MVC)
Head Coach: Cindy Stein • Second season • 302-241 career record (18th season) • 20-35 at SIU
Wichita State Shockers (21-4, 12-1 MVC)
Head Coach: Jody Adams • Seventh season • 163-90 career record (eighth season) • 139-82 at WSU
ON THE AIR
Radio: WVZA 105.1 FM (1:45 airtime)
Video Stream: Saluki All-Access
Audio Stream: Stretch Internet (free)
Play-by-Play: Bryce Williams (third season)
NOTES
PROMOTIONS
Sunday's contest vs. Wichita State is SIU's Donate Life Game to help raise awareness about organ donation. Educational information will be available in the Arena lobby on the main concourse, along with computer terminals to register online to become an organ donor.
SERIES HISTORY
The Salukis enjoy a 36-31 series lead over Wichita State, a meeting that dates back to 1981. The most exciting meeting in recent memory saw a stunning Saluki upset over the top-ranked Shockers in Carbondale on Mar. 1, 2014, who went on to the NCAA Tournament. That victory broke an eight-game slide against WSU, but the Salukis still have not won in Wichita since Jan. 10, 2008.
SCOUTING THE SHOCKERS
The Shockers are coming off their first two NCAA Tournament appearances in school history in 2013 and 2014 under head coach Jody Adams, and they haven't slowed down this season. WSU is currently the Valley's top team at 21-4 and 12-1 in conference play. The Shockers are on a four-game winning streak, and are undefeated at Koch Arena (14-0). The Shockers hold the nation's second-best scoring defense, only yielding 49.4 points per game to opponents. The Shockers held the best defense in the country when SIU played in Wichita earlier this season, where the Salukis were able to muster 60 points and at one point were only down six with under eight minutes to play.
WSU has a strong starting five who are scoring 90 percent of all Shocker scoring this season. Three of those five starters average double-digit scoring, led by reigning MVC Player of the Year and Preseason Player of the Year Alex Harden. Harden averages 16.1 PPG (4th MVC), 6.2 rebounds (10th MVC), 3.5 assists (2nd MVC), 3.2 steals (1st MVC) and 1.0 blocks (7th MVC).
SIU AGAINST THE MISSOURI VALLEY
Overall, SIU is 289-316 all-time versus the Missouri Valley Conference (formerly the Gateway Conference from 1983-92), which includes a 16-21 mark in the conference tournament. The Salukis are 273-295 all-time in regular season conference play dating back to its first season in the Gateway in 1983, and are 135-253 since the change to the MVC in 1992. The Valley has retained eight schools from the Gateway days (SIU, Bradley, Drake, Illinois State, Indiana State, Missouri State, Northern Iowa and Wichita State); Evansville joined the Valley in 1994, and Loyola most recently joined in 2013 to replace Creighton. Among active members of the Valley, SIU has an overall record of 280-315 and a conference mark of 245-272 dating back to 1983. In conference play (including the MVC Tournament), SIU has a winning record over three active teams: Bradley (43-24), Illinois State (35-34) and Wichita State (34-30); and a losing record with the remaining six schools: Drake (25-44), Evansville (20-25), Indiana State (33-33), Loyola (1-2), Missouri State (23-47) and Northern Iowa (31-33). Among the three inactive Gateway/MVC schools (Creighton, Eastern Illinois and Western Illinois), SIU was 46-36 -- which included a perfect 18-0 Gateway mark against WIU and a 15-4 Gateway record versus EIU.
LADY BEARS SNAP STREAK, 73-57
The Saluki women's basketball team got down early against a ferocious Missouri State squad and was never able to recover, falling for the first time since Jan. 25 in a 73-57 loss to the Lady Bears at SIU Arena on Feb. 20.
After surrendering 43 points in the first half on a 51.4 field goal percentage from Missouri State (11-13, 8-5 MVC), the Salukis (15-10, 8-6 MVC) were able to infuse some energy into the Arena with an exciting 14-0 run early in the second half after instituting a full-court press. But down the stretch Southern couldn't get anything to fall from the field (24.2 percent in the second half) or from three (11.1 percent in the second half) and weren't able to capitalize on the momentary glimpse of momentum.
"We were flat in that horrific first half," said SIU head coach Cindy Stein. "I loved our spirit and our effort in the second and then we just couldn't buy a basket. Sometimes that's the way it goes, and obviously Missouri State is too good of a team to do that against."
SIX-GAME WINNING STREAK
The incredible season for second-year head coach Cindy Stein and the Salukis has so far been highlighted by a six-game winning streak during the meat of their MVC schedule from Jan. 30 (vs. Loyola) to Feb. 15 (at Indiana State), before Missouri State snapped the streak in Carbondale on Feb. 20.
The streak was Southern's best since the 2006-07 WNIT team ended the regular season on an eight-game run. The streak also marked the end of a few nasty streaks against MVC competition. The win at Indiana State was SIU's first in Terre Haute since Dec. 29, 1999 -- snapping a 14-game road losing streak to the Sycamores. The win also marked the first MVC road weekend sweep for SIU since 2008-09.
WINNING STREAK BREAKDOWN
The Salukis didn't win six straight games by sheer luck, and the numbers prove it. Here is a statistical breakdown of the tremendous play Southern had during:
• 6-0 overall, 4-0 at home, 2-0 on the road
• Scoring margin of +9.8
• Scoring 73.0 points, allowing only 63.2
• Shooting .429 from the field
• Shooting .390 from three
• Shooting .750 from the free throw line
• Rebounding margin of +9.8 (42.0-to-32.2)
• Hauled in 86 offensive boards (allowed 59)
• Averaging 15.5 assists, 14.2 turnovers
• Assist/turnover ratio of 1.1
• Blocking 5.2 shots per game
• All five Saluki starters are averaging double-digit scoring:
Dyana Pierre
18.0 PPG, 16.5 RPG, 2.3 BPG, 1.2 APG, 1.2 SPG, .513 FG
Rishonda Napier
17.3 PPG, 4.2 APG, 2.0 SPG, .390 FG, .342 3PT, 13 3PT FG, .900 FT (27-30)
Azia Washington
11.3 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 1.5 SPG, 1.3 APG, .438 FG, .833 FT
Kylie Giebelhausen
11.3 PPG, 3.0 APG, 1.2 BPG, .455 FG, .517 3PT (15-of-29), .765 FT
Cartaesha Macklin
10.2 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 4.3 APG, .400 FG, .864 FT
SALUKIS ROLL 76-58 OVER IND. ST.
Despite a season-high 25 turnovers, efficient shooting and effective defense helped the Saluki women's basketball team pull away for a big 76-58 victory at Indiana State on Feb. 15 at the Hulman Center -- snapping a 14-game Saluki losing streak on the Sycamores' home turf dating back to Dec. 29, 1999.
Southern (15-9, 8-5 MVC) out-shot the Sycamores (16-8, 6-7 MVC) on an impressive percentage of 48.1 while holding Indiana State to 32.2, dominated them on the boards 44-to-27, and even when it did make a mistake, SIU was able to counteract with either a huge shot or one of its season-high 11 steals.
"I'm really proud of this team," said SIU head coach Cindy Stein. "I thought this was a game where we didn't necessarily play well, but we played hard. We did everything we could. We came up with stops when we needed it, and we made the big shots when we needed it."
Perhaps the biggest factor in Southern's win was its utter dominance on the boards, where -- once again -- junior Dyana Pierre was a force to be reckoned with. Pierre recorded her sixth-straight double-double on a 16-point, 15-rebound performance (while adding in five blocks), her 14th of the season and 35th of her career, tying her for fifth all-time in Missouri Valley Conference history.
SALUKIS TOP EVANSVILLE, 62-53
It was a game of runs on Feb. 13 at the Ford Center, but the Saluki women's basketball team recorded the last and most important one to keep its winning streak alive in a hard-fought 62-53 win over Evansville.
Southern (14-9, 7-5 MVC) extended its winning streak to five games for the first time since 2006-07 with its victory over the Purple Aces (10-13, 5-7 MVC), but early on it seemed as if Evansville would complete the season sweep of the Salukis. SIU was able to overcome a hot start from the Purple Aces and an insane day offensively from sophomore guard Sara Dickey, who scored 32 points.
"(Tonight's game) was ugly, and it was really ugly in the first half," said SIU head coach Cindy Stein. "We really struggled offensively to get anything going. We were about as cold as this building."
UE opened the first half on an 8-0 run before freshman Kylie Giebelhausen (15 points, 5-of-6 3PT) caught fire from downtown. The freshman native of East Peoria, Ill., hit three consecutive three-pointers to give SIU a 9-8 lead at 14:38 and bring some life to a stagnant Saluki offense in the opening minutes.
"We couldn't find her enough," Stein said. "Our ball movement wasn't very strong, so some of those Kylie had to come up with on her own."
CHAOS AT THE ARENA
Chaos reigned supreme in Carbondale on Feb. 6-8, as Southern Illinois knocked off two of the top-three teams in the Valley in Drake (81-76) and UNI (79-75). Southern played its best team basketball of the year in both games and got insane individual career performances out of Rishonda Napier (career-high 30 points vs. Drake) and Dyana Pierre (26 points and a career-high 21 rebounds vs. UNI). In the two games, SIU averaged 80 points, shot .456 from the field, out-rebounded opponents 42.5 to 31.0 and had an assist/turnover ratio of 1.9 -- nearly double SIU's season average entering the weekend. SIU is now 9-2 at home (best since 1994-95).
STEIN WINS 300TH GAME
There couldn't have been a better way for SIU head coach Cindy Stein to achieve her 300th career win in 18 seasons as a head coach. Following a monumental upset of top-ranked Drake on Feb. 6, Stein and the Salukis broke an 11-game slide against UNI on Feb. 8 for her 300th win. Stein's career record of 301-240 is the largest among active Valley coaches by a considerable amount, and she also just recently passed 200 career victories as a Division I head coach on Jan. 30 against Loyola. Stein spent 12 years at Missouri where she won 185 games, and she has 19 in two seasons at SIU. Overall, Stein is 301-240 as a head coach, and as a Division I head coach she is 203-211.
SALUKIS BREAK SLIDE VS. UNI, 79-75
Less than two full days since their shocking 81-76 win over top-ranked Drake on Feb. 6, the Saluki women's basketball team showed they are for real after emerging victorious over the Missouri Valley's No. 3 team UNI, 79-75, at SIU Arena on Feb. 8.
The incredible turnaround season continued in thrilling fashion once again for second-year head coach Cindy Stein and the Salukis (13-9, 6-5 MVC), who were able to erase a 10-point Northern Iowa (12-10, 8-3 MVC) lead on a lights-out second-half shooting percentage of 71.4. For Stein, the win was her 300th in 18 seasons as a head coach. "(Drake and Northern Iowa) are probably the two best offensive machines you got in the Valley because they run so much stuff and they always have a counter for everything," Stein said. "For us to be able to persevere through that -- of course it took outstanding shooting to do it -- but we did it."
SIU's success was directly correlated to an unbelievable career performance out of Dyana Pierre, who had a double-double in the second half alone with 18 points and 11 rebounds of her 26 and 21 total. For Pierre, this is her 33rd career double-double -- tying her for sixth all-time in MVC history with Drake's Carla Bennett.
"She was phenomenal," Stein said. "Dyana probably has the ugliest shot you'll ever see. She's not pure, but she's a great athlete and she makes it work. It was pretty to watch though, wasn't it?"
SALUKIS SHOCK DRAKE, 81-76
It was a wild ride at SIU Arena on Feb. 6, as the Saluki women's basketball team emerged victorious in one of the best women's games in recent SIU memory, upsetting the top-ranked Drake Bulldogs, 81-76.
The Salukis (12-9, 5-5 MVC) overcame a preposterous first-half three-point shooting effort out of Drake (14-7, 9-1 MVC), who sank seven of 12 three-point attempts in the opening 20 minutes. Much of that had to do with a stifling Saluki defense that held the nation's seventh-best scorer, Lizzy Wendell (27 points, 5-of-9 3PT) to just nine second half points after exploding for Drake's first nine points in the game.
Much of SIU's comeback also had to do with a truly impressive team effort on Southern's part. The Salukis only turned the ball over six times (the fewest since Jan. 20, 2008, five, vs. Creighton), recorded 20 assists, hauled in 19 offensive boards (of their 47 total), and had four players in double-digit scoring and two with double-doubles -- led by leading scorer Rishonda Napier with a career-high 30 points (seven rebounds, 9-of-21 FG, 5-of-13 3PT).
"I'm just really proud of our kids," said SIU head coach Cindy Stein of her 299th career victory in 18 seasons as a head coach. "Our kids really executed our game plan, they understood what we wanted to do. This is comparable to us beating Wichita State last year in the fact that we had laid out a game plan and our kids did it, so all the credit in the world goes to them. They were outstanding, they believed they could win, and there was never a doubt in their minds that they could win."
SALUKIS OUTRUN BRADLEY, 76-59
The Saluki women's basketball team improved to 7-2 at home and swept its first Missouri Valley Conference weekend series for the first time since 2008-09 with a strong 76-59 victory over Bradley at SIU Arena on Feb. 1 for the 2015 Salukis Go Pink game.
Bradley (3-17, 2-7 MVC) jumped out to a 7-0 lead to start the game, but the Salukis (11-9, 4-5 MVC) responded with an 11-0 run sparked by three treys from Rishonda Napier (18 points, four rebounds, three assists, two steals, 4-of-8 3PT) and never looked back. Southern put on a clinic on the boards (season-high 47 team rebounds), had three in scorers in double-digits (with two more on the cusp), dished out 17 assists, converted a season-high 22 of its season-high 29 free throw attempts, and were able to shut out Bradley from the three-point line for nearly three-quarters of the game.
"We found ways to win, and today it was at the free throw line and not letting them come back," said SIU head coach Cindy Stein.
SALUKIS GO PINK
The Feb. 1 contest between SIU and Bradley was also the annual Salukis Go Pink game, which helped raise funds for the completion of a comprehensive cancer center in southern Illinois through the Southern Illinois Healthcare Foundation. Southern wore special pink Under Armour jerseys that displayed the name of the winning bidders from the SalukisGoPink.com auction on the back. After the game, Saluki student-athletes met the winning bidders and presented them their jerseys.
"This was a huge game for us," SIU head coach Cindy Stein. "I know it meant a lot to our team. They took a lot of pride in those uniforms and the names on the backs. It means a lot to our kids, they feel like it's a special moment and a great cause."
SALUKIS OVERCOME LOYOLA, 64-58
SIU head coach Cindy Stein said in her post game press conference that it was a "tale of two halves" in Southern's 64-58 victory over Loyola at SIU Arena on Jan. 30. Fortunately for the Salukis, the second half of that tale worked out in SIU's favor.
Southern (10-9, 3-5 MVC) got off to a rough start against Loyola (2-17, 0-8 MVC), who shot 50 percent in the first half (15-30) and led by as many as 10 points by the opening minute of the second half. The Salukis responded in kind with a 50 percent clip from the field (12-24) of their own in the second half and held the Rambler offense to 29 percent shooting in the latter frame to help snap their three-game losing streak. Individually, the Saluki comeback was sparked by impressive outings from Dyana Pierre (18 points, 18 rebounds, three blocks, 7-of-14 FG), Cartaesha Macklin (17 points, six rebounds, five assists, 10-of-12 FT) and Kylie Giebelhausen (13 points, four rebounds).
"I feel like our defense made the stops that needed to be done," Stein said. "And, I felt like Dyana Pierre on the boards -- she got boards I have no idea how she got -- and that saved us. Kylie Giebelhausen hit some big shots, and we had some big free throws from Cartaesha (Macklin), so we had pieces of all these different kids stepping up."
MISCELLANEOUS NOTES
HISTORIC SEASON
Here is an impressive list of firsts and milestones achieved through 24 games this season:
• First season-opening win since 2008.
• First season-opening victory on the road since 2000.
• SIU's 87 points against UT Martin was the most scored in any regulation game since Nov. 22, 2011 (at Tennessee State, 89).
• First home opener victory since 2008.
• First time SIU was 2-1 since 2008, 3-1 since 2005-06, 4-1 since 1991-92.
• First time SIU has won consecutive games since 2012-13.
• First time SIU has won consecutive games at home since 2008-09.
• SIU's 16-point victory over Southeast Missouri was the largest since Southern beat Evansville by 26 on Feb. 26, 2012 (72-46).
• First time SIU has won three-straight games since 2007-08.
• First time SIU has won three-straight home games since 2008-09.
• SIU's win over SEMO, combined with its 15-point win over Mercer, are the first consecutive 15-point victories since 2007-08.
• First time 5-2 since 1991-92.
• First time 2-1 on the road since 2002-03.
• First time 6-2 since 1991-92.
• Best home start (4-1) since 1996-97.
• Best start through 10 games since 1996-97 (6-4)
• Best start through 11 games since 1996-97 (7-4)
• First time SIU finished non-conference above .500 since 1994-95.
• Best start through 12 games since 1994-95 (8-4)
• Best road start since 1991-92 (4-1)
• First consecutive MVC opener victories since 2006-07/07-08
• Best start through 13 games since 1994-95(8-5)
• Best road start through six games since 1991-92 (4-2)
• Most active players with 600 career points since 2007-08 (six).
• Best home start since 1996-97 (5-1).
• Broke 13-game slide against Illinois State
• Broke 12-game slide against Indiana State
• Broke 22-game road MVC losing streak
• 6-2 at home for the first time since 1996-97
• 7-2 at home; best since 1994-95 (8-1)
• 11 wins are most since 2006-07 (21)
• 17-point win over Bradley largest since 2012.
• First MVC weekend sweep since 2009 (Loyola, Bradley)
• Upset top-ranked Drake 81-76 on Feb. 6.
• Started 8-2 at home for first time since 1994-95.
• Broke an 11-game losing streak to UNI on Feb. 8. (79-75)
• Started 9-2 at home for first time since 1994-95.
• 13 wins are the most since 2006-07
• Four-game winning streak the first since 2006-07
• Four-game home winning streak first since 06-07
• Four game MVC winning streak first since 06-07
• Four-game home MVC winning streak first since 06-07
• First consecutive MVC weekend sweep since 06-07
• First five-game winning streak since 06-07
• First five-game MVC winning streak since 06-07
• Most MVC wins (7-5) since 06-07 team went 16-2
• Snapped 14-game road losing streak at Ind. St.
• First MVC road weekend sweep since 08-09
• Six-game winning streak longest since 06-07
• First back-to-back MVC road wins since 2006-07
• 18-point victory over Ind. St. largest since 2012.
HOME SWEET HOME
The Salukis are currently 9-2 at home, and started out 9-2 at home -- which ranked as the best home record through 11 games since the 1994-95 squad went 10-1. At home, SIU is shooting .417 from the field, .324 from three, out-rebounding opponents 42.0 to 36.3, out-scoring opponents 68.9 to 66.3, and dominating the second half by a total score of 429-380.
ATTENDANCE JUMPS UP
The 15-10 Salukis have seen a steady growth in attendance at SIU Arena this year. In 12 home games, SIU is averaging 818 visitors per game -- helped greatly by the Field Trip Day crowd of 1,655 against Murray State on Dec. 16 and the 1,975 fans that came to see Illinois' first trip to Carbondale since 1995 on Dec. 6. The Murray State crowd ranks 12th all-time in SIU history at the Arena for a women's game, and the Illinois game is the eighth-highest. For comparison, last season the Saluki women averaged 448 fans per game, a current increase of 182.6 percent.
PLAYER NOTES
THE SALUKI FIVE
Unlike previous seasons, the Salukis have a strong starting five. SIU's starting squad of Rishonda Napier (point guard), redshirt junior Cartaesha Macklin (guard), freshman Kylie Giebelhausen (guard), junior Azia Washington (forward) and junior Dyana Pierre (center) are 14-6 this season -- starting their first game together at home against Memphis and going on to win five of their next six games. The crew was most recently on a seven-game winning streak together dating back to Jan. 16 vs. Indiana State. As a unit, they are scoring 56.6 points per game (1,415 points, 84.5 percent of all SIU scoring) and shooting .436.
DIRTY DYANA
Junior Dyana Pierre just can't be stopped. The Port St. Lucie, Fla., native is putting together an MVC Player of the Year resume this season, and as of late she has been near-unstoppable. Pierre recorded six straight double-doubles (the longest such streak in her career) from Jan. 30 (vs. Loyola) and Feb. 15 (at Indiana State) to help facilitate a six-game Saluki winning streak. Pierre now has 35 career double-doubles, tying her for fifth all-time in MVC history.
Pierre played an instrumental part in Southern's upset wins over MVC-leading Drake (81-76) and Northern Iowa (79-75) on Feb. 6-8. Pierre averaged 21.5 points and 17.5 rebounds in the two contests, in which she recorded her 32nd and 33rd career double-doubles. Against Drake, Pierre scored 17 points and hauled in 14 boards, scoring 11 points alone in SIU's second-half surge to victory. Against UNI, Pierre was unstoppable, putting up 26 points and grabbing a career-high 21 rebounds -- recording a double-double in the second half alone with 18 and 11 in the latter frame. Pierre's dominance against the Panthers contributed toward and enabled other Salukis to its absurd 71.4 percent from the field in the second half, which in turn allowed SIU to erase a 10-point UNI lead and keep the Panthers at bay down the stretch.
Pierre currently has 14 double-doubles on the season, games in which SIU is 13-1.
PIERRE WATCH
Junior center Dyana Pierre is having a career year for the Salukis. Pierre has already jumped into the top-five in rebounding (currently fifth at 854) and the top-25 in scoring (currently 23rd at 1,031) in SIU history, and also ranks highly in several national categories. Pierre has the 21st-best field goal percentage in the nation at .548, which ranks first in the MVC and has been helped greatly by a 14-of-14 performance against Murray State -- only the seventh-such performance in the history of the NCAA. She also ranks 10th in the NCAA in rebounding at 11.6 boards per game.
COLD-BLOODED
Freshman Kylie Giebelhausen hasn't been shy when it comes to sinking daggers from beyond the arc, and in that has been especially true in her last few games. Giebelhausen hit some crucial three-pointers in SIU's upset victories over Drake and UNI, and she caught fire from downtown in Southern's wins at Evansville and Indiana State on Feb. 13 and 15. Giebelhausen hit a career-high five threes on six attempts at UE, including SIU's first three baskets to erase an 8-0 Evansville run to start the game and jump-start the Saluki offense. She copied and pasted that performance to Sunday against the Sycamores, draining 5-of-8 from downtown to end the weekend 10-of-14 from three.
ON A DIME
With the return of backcourt staples Rishonda Napier and Cartaesha Macklin the ball movement has been off the chart. After a dismal season in passing the ball, SIU ranks fifth in the MVC at 13.2 assists per game, helped greatly Napier's 3.4 (third MVC) and Macklin's 3.4 (fourth MVC) dimes per game. It was an especially productive weekend for Napier at UE and Indiana State last week, where she put across six against the Aces and then a career-high nine against the Sycamores.
NAPIER GOES OFF
Redshirt sophomore Rishonda Napier is less than one month off a dislocated shoulder, but you couldn't tell the difference against Drake on Feb. 6 or at Indiana State on Feb. 15. Napier was SIU's offensive rock against the Bulldogs, going off for a career-high 30 points to help SIU take down the top-ranked Bulldogs. Napier was 9-of-21 from the field and 5-of-13 from beyond the arc and was also able to sink all seven of her free throw attempts. Against the Sycamores, Napier did it all, scoring 23 points, dishing out a career-high eight assists, a career-high six steals and seven rebounds.
NAPIER CAN'T MISS
Rishonda Napier has been money from the charity stripe this season. The redshirt sophomore has only missed 10 free throws all season (69-79), and in conference play she is nearly perfect at 48-53 (.906). Napier's season percentage of 87.3 ranks 18th in the NCAA this year.
NAPIER CAREER MILESTONES
Rishonda Napier is also starting to climb her way up SIU's record book in just her second full season. Napier is one of three Salukis this season to eclipse 700 career points, and -- along with junior Azia Washington -- was one of two Salukis to do so against UNI on Feb. 8. These last few games also catapulted Napier up to sixth in SIU's all-time list of three-pointers made, with 108 career treys.
MACKLIN ENTERS THE TOP-10
Redshirt junior Cartaesha Macklin recently stepped into an elite class in the Saluki record books, jumping into the top-10 all-time in scoring at SIU after a 17-point performance against Loyola on Jan. 30. Macklin currently sits in eighth place all-time in school history at 1,268 career points. Using her pace this season, Macklin is slated to finish the year with 287 points, which would give her 1,318 points and rank her in sixth place above Connie Price and Molly McDowell.
SIU HAS FOUR ACTIVE WITH 700
On Feb. 8 vs. UNI, both Rishonda Napier and Azia Washington cracked 700 career points at SIU. Combined with Cartaesha Macklin (1,268) and Dyana Pierre (1,031), the Salukis now have four active student-athletes with at least 700 points in their career -- the first time that has happened on an SIU roster since 2007-08.
WASHINGTON PASSES 500 REBOUNDS
Junior Azia Washington nabbed six rebounds against Loyola on Jan. 30, pushing her over the 500 rebound plateau for her Saluki career. After recently eclipsing 700 career points, Washington is now one of two active Salukis -- along with Dyana Pierre -- to join the 700-500 club, one of only 17 Salukis to ever do so.
NEW TERRITORY
Junior forward Azia Washington advanced her game beyond the three-point arc this season. Entering 2014-15, Washington only had two three-point field goals in two seasons with the Salukis. In 25 games this year, though, Washington has gone 20-of-53 (.377) from beyond the arc, giving Southern yet another deep threat.
TEAM NOTES
FEBRUARY STARS
The Salukis are currently 5-1 in February, helped greatly by their six-game winning streak that dated back to Jan. 30. For reference, SIU has only won a total of five games in the month of February since the 2008-09 season. At 5-1, this is the best February record since the 2006-07 went 6-1 to spark their eight-game winning streak toward the MVC regular season crown.
DON'T CALL IT A COMEBACK
Southern has been a superb second-half team this season, out-scoring opponents 850-800 in the latter half. The Salukis have seven victories this season when either trailing at halftime or during the second half.
SHUT IT DOWN
The Salukis are coming off a stiff defensive effort at Indiana State last week, capping off an impressive weekend overall. Southern only gave up 19 field goals each to both Evansville and Indiana State, and against the Sycamores the Salukis were able to stifle them to a .322 shooting percentage -- the lowest of the year for SIU opponents.
WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM THE BENCH
The recent injury to starting point guard Rishonda Napier has allowed the opportunity for more Salukis to enter the rotation -- most notably junior transfer Blair Stephenson, who started three games for Southern in Napier's absence. More playing time for the Saluki bench could prove beneficial down the line; the Salukis are a perfect 6-0 when its bench out-scores opponents, but 8-10 when it either ties or is out-scored by the other team.
CRASHING THE BOARDS
The Salukis have been unstoppable on the glass this season, in which they hold the Missouri Valley's best rebounding margin at +4.9 -- the best by one rebound per game. Southern has only lost the rebounding battle four times this season (all losses, to Wright State, Illinois, Wichita State and Missouri State), and has posted single-game margins of 10 or better in eight games, seven of them wins. Southern is 15-6 when winning or tying the battle on the boards, but 0-4 when the other team outworks them on the glass. SIU's margin of +17 against the Sycamores on Feb. 15 was a season-high.
OPENING UP THE OFFENSE
The Saluki offense has really been clicking this year when Dyana Pierre is working down low. When Pierre has a double-double, SIU is 13-1 and the rest of the offense opens up as an after-effect. In 11 of those 14 games, Southern has had at least three scorers in double-digits. In those 14 games the Salukis are shooting .447 from the field and .374 from three, and they are dishing out 15.8 assists per game.
PROTECT THE ROCK
Even though SIU is averaging 15.2 turnovers per game, Southern has also showed massive improvement from previous years. SIU only turned the ball over eight times against Murray State, the first single-digit turnover game since SIU turned over nine at Marshall on Nov. 27, 2013. Eight turnovers is also the fewest turnover output since Feb. 19, 2009, when the Salukis only had seven at home against Illinois State.
SIU topped that against Drake on Feb. 6, where it only turned the ball over six times, the fewest since Jan. 20, 2008 (five, vs. Creighton). The Salukis are 8-5 this season when they have 15 or fewer turnovers.
SHARING THE WEALTH
Sharing is caring when it comes to SIU's success so far this season. Southern is 14-3 when it has at least three scorers in double figures, with a season-high five double-digit scorers against UT Martin in the season opener. SIU's only losses with three double-digit scorers came against No. 14 Oregon State on Dec. 19, at UNI on Jan. 9 and at Drake on Jan. 11. Additionally, Southern's ball movement and offensive scheme have helped facilitate the wide range of scorers; SIU has had at least 17 assists in seven of 25 games.
OFFENSE EQUALS W'S
The adage is "defense wins championships," but through 25 games Southern is showing up stronger on the offense end has meant a check-mark in the win column. The Salukis are 15-3 when scoring 60 or more points, but four of SIU's 10 losses have come with scoring outputs 55 or lower. Additionally, Southern is also 13-2 when out-shooting opponents from the field.
OTHER SEASON HIGHLIGHTS
SIU GETS 65-53 WIN OVER SYCAMORES
The Salukis exploded offensively in the first half, but then showed some resilience to hang on for a 65-53 victory over Indiana State at SIU Arena on Friday night -- snapping a 12-game skid against the Sycamores. The Salukis (9-6, 2-2 MVC) got out to a superb start against the Sycamores (12-4, 2-3 MVC), who owned the best overall record in the Missouri Valley entering Friday and also owns two impressive overtime wins over No. 25 St. John's (73-67, 2OT) and Indiana (65-61, OT). Indiana State didn't go down without a fight, though, and clawed their way back into the game on several occasions throughout. To which, the Salukis responded in resolute fashion.
"Indiana State is a fantastic team," said SIU head coach Cindy Stein. "I feel very fortunate to get the win today, but I felt like our kids fought and deserved it. We know when we go there it's going to be really, really tough."
MAKING HISTORY
The incredible year for Cindy Stein and the Salukis kept rolling on Jan. 16 with their 65-53 win over Indiana State. The win snapped a 12-game losing streak to the Sycamores that dated back to 2009, adding to a list of nasty streaks snapped that include a 22-game road MVC losing streak (snapped at Illinois State on Jan. 4) and a 13-game slide against the Redbirds.
SIU OVERCOMES ILLINOIS STATE, 65-56
Down 13 after losing an 11-point lead, the Salukis stormed back on a 14-0 run to regain the lead and rode that momentum to a 65-56 victory over Illinois State at Redbird Arena on Jan. 4 to open Missouri Valley Conference play.
Rishonda Napier ended up with a new career high with 26 points on 6-of-17 shooting and an 11-of-13 mark from the charity stripe -- 16 of those points coming in the second half. Mercedes Griffin scored all 10 of her points in the second half, as did Dyana Pierre (eight points, eight rebounds) and Cartaesha Macklin (seven points). Azia Washington, who scored eight in the first half, finished with 14 points and six rebounds on 2-of-3 three-point shooting.
GRIFFIN PROVIDES A SPARK
Senior Mercedes Griffin came off the bench against Illinois State on Jan. 4 and proved to be the shot in the arm the stagnant Saluki offense needed. After a scoring drought of 11:16 in the first half, Griffin sparked a 14-0 run in the second half that helped regain the lead from the Redbirds that the Salukis never lost again. After a Dyana Pierre layup at 11:03, Griffin hit a jumper and converted a steal into a fast break layup to give the Salukis some momentum and force an ISU timeout with 9:34 left in the game with the Redbirds leading 43-36. Cartaesha Macklin, Azia Washington and Rishonda Napier all joined in on the fun with field goals coming out of the timeout, and then Griffin capped off the 14-0 run to take a 44-43 lead with another steal and fast break layup. Griffin's run sparked a stellar second half where SIU shot a blistering 62.5 percent from the field contrasted to ISU's 32.3 clip. The Salukis forced nine Redbird turnovers (which turned into 14 Saluki points) and shot 16-of-22 from the free throw line -- opposed to 2-of-4 from the first half. Southern also held the Redbirds to a scoring drought of their own of 6:03.
SIU HANGS WITH NO. 14 OREGON STATE
Despite Oregon State's size and athleticism, the Saluki women's basketball team found itself in the middle of a potential upset bid before the country's 14th-ranked Beavers pulled away for a 71-55 victory over SIU on Friday night at the Convocation Center.
The Salukis (6-3) were anything but evenly matched on paper with the perfect Beavers (9-0), but Southern proved it could hang with the big kids throughout much of the contest. Most of the game was a back-and-forth tug-of-war between SIU and OSU with 10 ties and eight lead changes. Southern eventually took a seven-point lead over the Beavers late in the first half during a bizarre flurry of technical fouls toward the Oregon State bench that resulted in the ejection of OSU head coach Scott Rueck. The second half started out looking like it was going to be a heavyweight fight down to the wire before a 13-0 run by the Beavers gave them the push they needed to victory.
BIZARRE TURN FOR CORRIGAN
Sophomore Carlie Corrigan came through for the Salukis against Oregon State in perhaps the strangest of ways. With OSU leading 23-22, a bizarre change of events nearly gave SIU a key momentum swing against the 14th-ranked Beavers. Cartaesha Macklin was originally called for an over-the-back foul on a rebound, but the call was reversed to that of Oregon State's Ali Gibson. OSU's Deven Hunter was then immediately assessed a technical for reasons unclear, and not long after OSU head coach Scott Rueck received a technical and seconds later received his second technical and an ejection. Once the dust settled, SIU chose Corrigan to go to the charity stripe for Southern's six free shots from the technicals -- where she sank each and every one to give SIU a 28-23 lead over the Beavers. Corrigan finished as one of four Salukis in double-figures with 11 points.
SALUKIS WIN FIVE OF SIX
Southern bounced back from a rough loss to Illinois on Dec. 6 (86-42) with a strong 75-65 win over Austin Peay on Dec. 13 and another decisive win over Murray State (78-63) on Dec. 16. After starting the year 1-1, the Salukis went on to win five of their next six, improving to 6-2 for the first time since the 1991-92 season.
SALUKIS OVERPOWER RACERS, 78-63
It was the Dyana Pierre show Dec. 16 at SIU Arena, where her school-record 14-of-14 performance from the field for 31 points helped push the Salukis to a 78-63 victory over Murray State. Pierre was the driving force for the Salukis (6-2) on both sides of the ball, chipping in 11 rebounds and three blocks for her 26th career double-double and helping Southern out-rebound a tall and physical Murray State (3-7) squad 43-35 in the winning effort. The Salukis improved to 6-2 for the first time since the historic NCAA Tournament team of 1991-92, but and also improved to 4-1 at home -- the best home start since the Salukis went 5-0 to start the 1996-97 season.
PERFECT PIERRE
Preseason All-MVC center Dyana Pierre had herself a day against Murray State on Dec. 16, putting in a performance that will be remembered not only by SIU's record books but by the NCAA as well. Pierre went a perfect 14-of-14 from the field for 31 points, breaking Connie Price-Smith's 1982 single game school record of field goals without a miss -- which was 12-of-12. At the same time, her 14-of-14 performance made her just the seventh player in the history of the NCAA to be perfect on at least 14 attempts -- becoming the first to do so since 2002.
SIU RANKED NO. 32 IN FIRST RPI
In the initial official NCAA RPI rankings released on Dec. 2, Southern Illinois was ranked as the highest MVC school at No. 32 after its 4-1 start with significant wins over UT Martin, Memphis and Mercer. In total, three Valley schools were ranked in the top-55 in the initial poll, with Wichita State at No. 46 and Indiana State at No. 52.
SALUKIS STUN SKYHAWKS, 87-78
Coming off a 5-25 season that saw a rough 85-55 loss to UT Martin, the Salukis took vengeance on the 2014 NCAA Tournament Skyhawks with an 87-78 victory on Nov. 14 in Martin to kick off the 2014-15 season. Southern played exceptional basketball in just about every facet of the game. The Salukis shot an unreal 51.6 percent from the field on 17 assists -- more assists than in any regulation game last season. SIU dominated UTM on the glass, out-rebounding the Skyhawks 43-27 -- which included 12 offensive boards for the Salukis that led to 18 second-chance points. Southern didn't stop there, as they also displayed a tenacious defense in the second half to hold UTM to 18.2 percent from the beyond the arc after the Skyhawks sank two-thirds of their three-point attempts in the first half. Most importantly, SIU used a solid rotation of 11 student-athletes -- a stark contrast from only having eight scholarship athletes in 2013-14.
