Women's Basketball returns home to take on Brescia

Saturday, November 26

Carbondale, Ill.

2 PM

Southern Illinois University

Brescia (Ky.)

Photo by: Madison Case

11/25/2016 | 3:00:00 | Women's Basketball

Brescia Game Notes

By: Will Becque, SIUSalukis.com

The Southern Illinois women's basketball team returns to the SIU Arena Saturday, Nov. 26 to host the Brescia Bearcats. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m., with the game being streamed live on ESPN3 and can be heard on WVZA 105.1 FM.

Scouting the Brescia Bearcats
Brescia, a NAIA school that plays in the River States Conference, has lost six-straight, and seven of its last eight games to start the season. The Bearcats are giving up 90.2 points per game to opponents, with foes shooting a healthy 46.9% from the field and 33% from three-point range. Brescia has three players averaging over 10 points per contest, led by Shelbi Samsil. Samsil is averaging 15.2 points per game, including a 36-point outburst in the Bearcats win over St. Mary-of-the-Woods College. Kelsey Kirkpatrick comes into Saturday's game averaging 13.5 points and a team-best 5.6 rebounds per game.

SIU vs. NAIA
SIU hasn't taken on a current National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) school in a regular season game since 1985, when the Salukis defeated Oklahoma City University in overtime, 82-72 en route to a first place finish at the Dial Classic in San Diego, Calif. Southern holds a 5-1 record in regular season games against NAIA foes, with its lone loss coming against Grand View College in 1976.

1985 | Oklahoma City University | W, 82-72 (OT)
1979 | Lambuth College | W, 56-51
1979 | William Woods | W, 59-49
1976 | Grand View College | L, 72-77
1972 | Olivet Nazarene | W, 43-20
1964 | Lincoln Christian | W, 48-24

Defending the Perimeter
The Salukis are currently ranked 1^st in the MVC, and 4^th in the nation, in opponent's three-point field goal percentage. SIU is holding opponents to just 17.5% (10-of-57) shooting from beyond the arc.

Hartman cleaning glass
Lauren Hartman is currently averaging 9 defensive rebounds per game, the most of any player in the Valley thus far, and the fifth-most in the nation. She also leads the conference, and is 17^th in NCAA D1, with an 11.8 rebounds per game average. The Tremont, Ill. native has grabbed double-digit rebounds in three-straight games.

Napier making the freebies
Rishonda Napier is a perfect 12-for-12 from the charity stripe this season, and is one of 24 players in NCAA DI who have yet to miss a free throw.

Giebelhausen leads MVC from three
Kylie Giebelhausen currently leads the Missouri Valley Conference in a plethora of three-point statistics. She's first in three-point field goals attempted (29), three-pointers made (13), three-pointers made per game (3.25) and three-point field goal percentage (44.8%), with her 3.25 threes per game the 29^th best average in the nation.

Nebo with the soft touch
Kim Nebo currently leads the Valley in field-goal percentage, as she's shooting 57.5% from the field. She has scored in double-figures in three-straight games, including a career-high 19 points against the SIUE Cougars on Nov. 23.

Giebelhausen earns MVC Scholar-Athlete of the Week honors
Kylie Giebelhausen was selected as the Missouri Valley Conference's Scholar-Athlete of the Week after averaging 18.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.5 blocks and 1.5 steals per game while leading SIU to a pair of non-conference wins.

An exercise science major who holds a 3.74 cumulative grade point average, Giebelhausen poured in a career-high 22 points in SIU's 70-63 home-opening win over Murray State. The East Peoria, Ill. native made 8-of-15 shots, including 4-of-7 from beyond the arc in 37 minutes of play. She followed with 15 points, three rebounds, two steals and two blocks in SIU's 64-61 win over Purdue, helping SIU to its first win over a Power 5 conference school since 1993.

Salukis Sweep Valley Weekly Honors
This past week, Kylie Giebelhausen was named the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week while freshman forward Lauren Hartman earned MVC Newcomer of the Week honors.

It marks the third time SIU has swept the MVC weekly awards since the Valley began honoring a Newcomer of the Week prior to the 2003-04 season, and the first time the Salukis have done so since the 2011-12 season.

Hartman is the first Saluki to earn Newcomer of the Week honors since her teammate, Rishonda Napier, won it for the week of January 28, 2013.

The Tremont, Ill. native averaged 14 rebounds per game in SIU's 2-0 week, as she snagged 12 boards to go along with five points and a pair of steals in 27 minutes during SIU's win over Murray State on Thursday. She added 16 rebounds, including 10 in the first half to go along with four points, three blocks and a steal in SIU's win at Purdue.

"Inside Saluki Women's Basketball" Show debuts Dec. 6
The "Inside Saluki Women's Basketball" weekly radio show, hosted by Kelly Burke and featuring Southern Illinois University women's head basketball coach Cindy Stein, will debut on Tuesday, Dec. 6 with a luncheon in the Cook Club inside SIU Arena.

Beginning with the debut show on Dec. 6 and continuing on the first Tuesday of every month, the show will be taped during a luncheon in the Cook Club from 11:45 a.m.-1 p.m. Taping of the show starts at 12:15 p.m., with fans encouraged to attend and an optional $6 lunch is available.