Southern Illinois University
UMKC
Women's Basketball heads to UMKC Tournament
12/17/2016 | 2:52:00 | Women's Basketball
Salukis will face UMKC, South Dakota on Dec. 19-20.
| SIU Salukis (5-4) at UMKC Tournament | |
| Dates | Dec. 19-20, 2016 |
| Times | Monday | 3 p.m. Tuesday | 1 p.m. |
| Location | Kansas City, Mo. / Swinney Recreation Center (1,500) |
| Game Notes | Southern Illinois |
| Game Notes | South Dakota |
| Video | vs. UMKC |
| Radio | vs. UMKC vs. South Dakota |
| Live Stats | vs. UMKC vs. South Dakota |
| Tickets | Buy Tickets |
| Media Guide | SIU Media Guide |
| Social Media | @SIU_WBasketball |
The Southern Illinois Women's Basketball team travels to Kansas City to take part in the University of Missouri-Kansas City Tournament, beginning on Monday, Dec. 19 when they take on the UMKC Kangaroos at 3 p.m. The Salukis will then face off against the reigning WNIT champion South Dakota Coyotes on Tuesday, Dec. 20 at 1 p.m.Â
Monday's contest will be broadcast on WHET 97.7 FM, while Tuesday's game will be broadcast on WVZA 105.1 FM.
First Meetings in program history
The Salukis will take on the University of Missouri-Kansas City Kangaroos and the South Dakota Coyotes at the UMKC Tournament, which will mark the first-ever that Southern has faced either school in program history.
SIU vs. WAC Opponents
The Salukis are 6-3 against Western Athletic Conference (WAC) opponents all-time, with Southern last playing a WAC opponent on Dec. 20, 2013 against Chicago State. SIU's last win over a WAC program was on Dec. 8, 1996, when the Salukis defeated San Jose State, 78-55. This will mark the sixth time that Southern has played a WAC opponent in a non-postseason tournament, with SIU holding a 3-2 advantage.Â
SIU vs. The Summit League
The Salukis are 1-5 all-time against Summit League schools since the conference formed in 2007, with Southern's lone win over a Summit League school coming on Dec. 8, 2011, a 77-63 win over IUPUI in Carbondale, Ill. SIU last faced a Summit League opponent last season, when the Salukis fell to Western Illinois, 99-97 in overtime during the first round of the Women's Basketball Invitational.
Finding their stroke
The Salukis shot 57.1% (28-of-49) from the floor in the win over SEMO, including 58.3% (7-of-12) from three-point territory. It's the best Southern has shot from the field since shooting 60% in a 70-65 loss to Evansville on January 2, 2009. The Salukis followed that up by shooting 47.9% (23-of-48) from the field in the win over Memphis, the program's first win over an American Athletic Conference team since 2014.
Napier's 100th career start
If she starts against UMKC, it will be the 100th start of Rishonda Napier's career.Â
Napier Making Her Freebies
Rishonda Napier leads the nation in free throw percentage, as the redshirt senior point guard is a perfect 26-for-26 from the charity stripe. She is the only player in the nation without a miss on the list, and is tied for the longest streak by a Saluki since 2003 when Molly McDowell also made 26-straight freebies. With her six free throws in the win over Memphis, Napier passed Cartaesha Macklin's mark of 24-straight from a year ago.
Moving up the all-time list
Rishonda Napier scored 17 points in the win over Memphis, moving her past Dyana Pierre for sixth on SIU's all-time list with 1,427 points. It's the third-most points among active players in the Missouri Valley Conference, trailing only Lizzy Wendell (2,035 points) and Sara Dickey (1,802 points). In addition, it's the 23rd-most career points amongst active DI players.
Next basket is her 500th
Rishonda Napier's next basket will be the 500th of her career. She will become the 12th Saluki to reach 500, and the first since Dyana Pierre and Cartaesha Macklin did so a year ago.Â
Nebo at the charity stripe
Kim Nebo went 4-from-4 from the charity stripe in Southern's win over Memphis, the most she's made from the free throw line since Nov. 20, 2015.
Corrigan's career night
Carlie Corrigan had the hot hand in SIU's win over Memphis, as she shot 70% (7-of-10) from the floor, including 80% (4-of-5) from downtown. She set a career-high with 20 points in the win, and tied career-bests in both field goals (7) and three-point field goals (4).Â
Top-10 most assists in a game
Rishonda Napier dished out a career-best 11 assists in the win over Memphis, tying her with Molly McDowell for the 8th-most assists in a single game in program history.Â
Sharing is Caring
The Salukis have handed out 15-plus assists in six of their nine contests this season. The most 15-plus assist games in a season, dating back to 1989 is 20, set during the 1991-92 season. Southern is currently ahead of the 1991-92 team's pace, as that squad had five 15-plus assist games during their first nine contests.Â
15-plus assists in at least 10 games for three-straight seasons
This year's squad has the potential to dish out 15-plus assists in 10 or more games for the third-straight season, which would be the first time since 2005-08, when Southern had three-straight double-digit assist seasons.Â
Preseason Poll
SIU was picked to finish fourth in the MVC, marking the first time in 18 years (1996-97, 1997-98) that SIU has been picked in the top-half of the annual poll in back-to-back seasons.
Defending the Perimeter
The Salukis are currently ranked 1st in the conference, and 8th in the nation, in opponent's three-point field goal percentage. SIU is holding opponents to just 23.5% (32-of-136) shooting from beyond the arc.
Finding the Open Looks
SIU is averaging 7.2 three-pointers per game in the early goings of the 2016-17 season, well above the school record of 6.667 threes per game set a year ago. SIU's attempts per game are also up, with Southern shooting 21.3 three-pointers per contest through nine games, or slightly less than the school-record of 21.5 three-point attempts per game, set during the 2011-12 season.Â
Power 5 Conference win
The Salukis picked up a 64-61 win at Purdue, a win that snapped several long streaks. The win at Purdue marked SIU's first win in West Lafayette, Ind. since 1980, and the Salukis first win over a Big Ten school since 1993. 1993 also marked the last time SIU beat a school from a Power 5 conference, as Southern defeated Arizona State, 73-57 on Dec. 20, 1993.
Giebelhausen from long distance
Kylie Giebelhausen tied a career-best by making five three-pointers in the win over SEMO, marking the fifth time in her career the junior guard has made five in a game. She is one of only six Salukis all-time to have made at least 130 three-pointers in a career.
Napier MVC POW
After leading the Salukis to back-to-back wins over SEMO and Memphis, Rishonda Napier was named the Missouri Valley Conference Women's Basketball Player of the Week.Â
It marks the first time this season that Napier has been named MVC Player of the Week, and the third time she has done so in her career.Â
Napier averaged 18.5 points, 8.0 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.0 rebounds per game in helping the Salukis go 2-0 on the weekend. She shot an efficient 45.8% (11-of-24) from the floor, including 62.5% (5-of-8) from three-point range and was a perfect 10-for-10 from the charity stripe.
In SIU's win over SEMO on Friday, the redshirt senior from Burbank, Calif. scored 20 points and added five assists in the win over the Redhawks. She followed that effort by posting her second career double-double in SIU's win over Memphis on Sunday.
The preseason All-MVC selection scored 17 points and dished out a career-high 11 assists in the 69-61 win over the Tigers. It was the first points-assists double-double by a Saluki since 2012, when Cartaesha Macklin finished with 19 points and 10 assists in a 69-66 win at Chicago State on Dec. 29, 2012.
