Southern Illinois University
Southeast Missouri State
Women's Basketball to host SEMO for Field Trip Day
12/08/2016 | 3:51:00 | Women's Basketball
Tipoff is set for 12 p.m.
| SIU Salukis (3-4) vs. SEMO Redhawks (5-5) | |
| Date | Friday, Dec. 9, 2016 |
| Time | 12 p.m. CT |
| Location | Carbondale, Ill. / SIU Arena |
| Game Notes | Southern Illinois |
| Game Notes | Southeast Missouri State |
| Video | ESPN3 with Bryce Williams and Kelly Burke |
| Radio | Saluki All-Access |
| Live Stats | Sidearm Stats |
| Tickets | Buy Tickets |
| Media Guide | SIU Media Guide |
| Social Media | @SIU_WBasketball |
CARBONDALE, Ill. – The Southern Illinois women's basketball team continues its three-game homestand against the Southeast Missouri State (SEMO) Redhawks on Friday, Dec. 9. Tipoff is set for noon inside the SIU Arena.
Friday's contest will air on ESPN3 and on WVZA 105.1 FM, and marks the annual Field Trip Day game, in which students from around Southern Illinois are invited to attend, free of charge, with over 1,000 expected in attendance Friday.
The Salukis (3-4) are coming off their first loss at the Arena this season, a 64-49 loss at the hands of UAB. SIU will try to avoid a third-straight loss, as the Salukis haven't lost three-straight non-conference games since 2013, fourth-year head coach Cindy Stein's first season at the helm of the Salukis.
Southern will look to its two leading scorers, Rishonda Napier and Kylie Giebelhausen to lead the way. Napier is averaging 17.6 points and 4.0 assists in three career games against the Redhawks, while Giebelhausen has made 8-of-12 three-point attempts versus SEMO, including draining 4-of-5 from beyond the arc in last season's 87-72 win.
SEMO (5-5) comes into Friday's tilt having won two in a row, and three of its last four, with wins over Stephens College and Lipscomb. The Redhawks, under the direction of second-year head coach Rekha Patterson, have made the eighth-most three-pointers (83) in the nation, and have the 12th-best three-point shooting percentage (40.9%) in the country. The Salukis, meanwhile, are holding opponents to 21.9% shooting from beyond the arc, the fourth-lowest in the nation.
The Redhawks have three players averaging double figures, led by senior Olivia Hackmann, who averages 15.7 points per game. She's currently second in the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) in scoring while sophomore Adrianna Murphy leads the nation in total assists, as she dished out 71 in 10 games.
"SEMO is very fast paced and guard oriented," Stein said. "I really like what Coach Patterson is doing there. She has really improved that program. I know we need to be much better than we were last week. The most important thing this week has been to not worry so much about what (SEMO) is going to do, because we need to be better at what we do."
The Salukis continue their three-game homestand on Sunday, Dec. 11 against Memphis. Tipoff is slated for 2 p.m.
Series History
The Salukis are 26-7 all-time against SEMO in a series that dates back to the 1961-62 season. SIU has won three of its last four against its border rival, including last year's matchup, a 87-72 win in Cape Girardeau, Mo. on Dec. 22, 2015. The Salukis have won two in a row against the Redhawks on their home floor.
Last Time They Met
SIU 87, SEMO 72
Rishonda Napier scored a team-high 21 points and was one of five Salukis to score in double figures as Southern defeated SEMO, 87-72 at the Show Me Center. SIU never trailed during the contest, as the Salukis got out to a 13-0 lead during the first three minutes of play and never looked back.
Scouting the Redhawks
The Redhawks come into Friday's matchup having won two in a row, and three of their last four, tallying back-to-back wins over Stephens College and Lipscomb. SEMO is led by its seniors, Olivia Hackmann and Bri Mitchell. Hackmann has four double-doubles on the year and is averaging 15.7 points per contest. Mitchell has led the Redhawks in scoring in three contests this season, including 27 points against Western Illinois on Nov. 16. SEMO's point guard, Adrianna Murphy currently leads the nation in total assists with 71, and is 12th in the nation with a 7.1 assists per game average.
Current Salukis vs. the Redhawks
Rishonda Napier will play her fourth career game against SEMO, and in three previous meetings is averaging 17.6 points, 4.0 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 1.0 steals. Kylie Giebelhausen is 8-of-12 (.667) from three-point range all-time against the Redhawks, and is averaging 15.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 3.0 blocks in two previous meetings- both of which were wins.
SIU vs. the OVC
The Salukis will play their fourth OVC opponents Friday, and in 176 lifetime meetings against OVC schools, the Salukis sport a .721 winning percentage (127-49).
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 4th in the nation, in opponent's three-point field goal percentage. SIU is holding opponents to just 21.9% (23-of-105) shooting from beyond the arc. Southern will once again be tested, as SEMO has made the 8th-most three-pointers in NCAA DI (83) and have the 12th-best three-point shooting percentage in the country (40.9%).
Slight of Hand
SIU's 13 steals in the win over Brescia on Nov. 26 marks the first time Southern has cracked double-digits in steals since March 7, 2015 against Illinois State. The 13 steals were the most in a game during the Cindy Stein era, and the most since Southern nabbed 13 steals in a 52-41 loss to Evansville on Feb. 9, 2013.
Dishing Out Helpers
The Salukis dished out 29 assists on 37 field goals in the win over Brescia, tied for the second-most assists in a single game in program history. Eight different Salukis recorded an assist in the win, and Southern turned the ball over just six times. SIU ranks second in the conference, and 29th in the nation, in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.23).
Protecting the Rock
Southern has turned the ball over just 90 times through seven games, the 16th-fewest turnovers in the nation and the fewest for any Valley school.
From Downtown
Rishonda Napier can become Southern's all-time leader in three-pointers made in a career this season. She needs to make 21 treys to break Teri Oliver's school record of 235.
For Three
The Salukis have made 48 three-pointers thus far this season- the most through seven games in program history. Southern's previous best of 46 was set during the 2011-12 season.
Finding the Opener Shooter
Of the eight occurrences in which SIU has tallied 20 or more assists in back-to-back games, the 49 combined assists against SIUE and Brescia are the second-most. The 1990 squad recorded 58 assists in back-to-back contests, as Southern handed out a school record 30 assists against Western Illinois on Jan. 8, 1990 and followed with 28 against Northern Iowa on Jan. 11, 1990.
Back-to-Back 20+ Assist games
Southern recorded 20+ assists in back-to-back contests this year, finishing with 20 in the loss to SIUE and coming back with 29 in the win over Brescia on Nov. 26. You have to go all the way back to the 2000-01 season to find the last time that SIU recorded 20+ assists in multiple games during the same season, and all the way back to the 1998-99 season when current Director of Basketball Operations Julie Beck was Southern's head coach to find the last time SIU accomplished the feat in back-to-back games. SIU recorded 21 assists vs. Murray State on Nov. 20, 1998, and followed with 20 assists at Memphis on Nov. 23, 1998.
Dropping Dimes Part Two
Of the 53 times in which the Salukis have tallied 20 or more assists in a single game since 1989, this marks just the eighth time that Southern has dished out 20-plus assists in back-to-back games. Southern's longest streak of 20-plus assist games is three-straight, which it has done twice, last doing so during the 1993-94 season.
Finding the Open Looks
SIU is averaging 6.85 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 23 three-pointers per contest through seven games, or one and a half three-point attempts more per game than the 2011-12 season, when the Salukis averaged a school record 21.5 three-point attempts per game.
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.
Napier making the freebies
Rishonda Napier is a perfect 16-for-16 from the charity stripe this season, and is one of seven players in NCAA DI who have yet to miss a free throw. However, Napier doesn't yet qualify in the national rankings for free-throw percentage, as her 2.3 free throws per game average is slightly below the 2.5 free throws per game average needed for inclusion.
Giebelhausen leads MVC from three
Kylie Giebelhausen currently leads the Missouri Valley Conference in three-pointers per game with a 2.57 average. She's second in the league in total three-pointers made (18) and third in three-point percentage (.391).
Shooting for a high percentage
One of the big storylines in the early going of the 2016-17 season has been the emergence of Kim Nebo, who has scored in double figures in four of Southern's seven games this season. She's currently leading the Valley in field goal percentage, shooting at a 58.7% (37-of-63) clip. It also marks the 30th-best field goal percentage in NCAA DI.
Corrigan Making Early Impact
Carlie Corrigan has started all seven games for the Salukis this season, and has started more games this season than any previous season of her career. She set a new career-high by playing 38 minutes in the loss at UT Martin, and for the second time this season, tied her career-best by making four three-pointers.
Giebelhausen joins exclusive group
Kylie Giebelhausen scored six points against UAB on Saturday to give her 601 for her career, becoming just the third Saluki to tally at least 600 points/250 rebounds/100 assists/80 blocks/50 steals in a career.
Logging Big Minutes
Giebelhausen also eclipsed the 2,000-minute mark for her career this season, becoming the 38th Saluki to do so.
Second Career Start
Tiajaney Hawkins made her third-straight start in place of freshman Lauren Hartman, and scored four points and grabbed two rebounds in eight minutes against UAB.
First Collegiate Swat
Olivia Bowling recorded the first block of her collegiate career against the UT Martin Skyhawks, doing so in 20 minutes of play off the bench. She was one minute off of tying her career-best of 21 set in the 102-69 win over Morehead State on Dec. 12, 2015.
One of 5
Rishonda Napier became just the fifth Saluki with over 1,000 career points/300 rebounds/300 assists, joining former teammate Cartaesha Macklin as well as former Saluki standouts Angie Rougeau (1989-93), Kasia McClendon (1993-97), and Molly McDowell (1999-03).
6th All-Time in Sight
Napier could pass former teammate Dyana Pierre for sixth on SIU's all-time scoring list this weekend, needing 36 points to do so. Napier has 1,390 career points and needs 391 points to pass Cartaesha Macklin and become Southern's career points leader.
Block Party
Kylie Giebelhausen recorded the 85th block of her career in the win over Brescia- moving her past Mary Berghuis for 4th on SIU's all-time blocks list.
