Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Women's Basketball hosts Missouri State in pivotal MVC clash
02/18/2016 | 12:00:00 | Women's Basketball
| Missouri State (17-8, 10-3 MVC) at Southern Illinois (15-9, 8-4 MVC) | |
| Date | Friday, Feb. 19, 2016 |
| Time | 6 p.m. CT |
| Location | Carbondale, Ill. / SIU Arena (8,284) |
| Game Notes | Southern Illinois |
| Game Notes | Missouri State |
| Video | ESPN3 |
| Radio | Saluki All-Access |
| Live Stats | Game Tracker |
| Tickets | Buy Tickets |
| Media Guide | SIU Media Guide |
| Social Media | @SIU_WBasketball |
CARBONDALE, Ill. - The Southern Illinois women's basketball team plays its first of four remaining regular season home games on Friday night when it hosts the Missouri State Lady Bears with a 6 p.m. tipoff scheduled at the SIU Arena. The pivotal Missouri Valley Conference battle will be broadcast online via The Valley on ESPN3.
The game marks the 3rd annual Donate Life Organ Donor Awareness game, with the Salukis helping to raise awareness in and hope for organ donation. Local jazz singer Sharon Clark, a two-time heart transplant recipient, will sing the National Anthem before the game while fans are asked to join the Salukis in wearing green to honor this special day. All tickets for the contest are just $1.
Missouri State (17-8, 10-3 MVC) is one of three teams, along with Drake and Northern Iowa, in a three-way tie for first atop the MVC standings. Southern, meanwhile, is two games back with six games to go. The Lady Bears defeated the Salukis by a score of 82-77 on Jan. 24 at the JQH Arena.
Southern Illinois won its last game at Evansville, 66-63, on Feb. 14 and have now won four of its last five. The Salukis are 8-3 at the Arena this season, and haven't lost at home since a Jan. 10 overtime loss to Loyola. In order to keep that streak alive, the Salukis will have to once again accomplish something that hasn't been done in Stein's three seasons at the helm- defeat Missouri State. The Lady Bears come into Friday's contest having won nine-straight over the Salukis, and 14 of its last 15.
"[Missouri] State has had our number," said SIU head coach Cindy Stein. "We don't sugar coat that. Thats the truth. It's very disappointing to our team to go in there and fight so hard and come up short on many occasions. We are excited about this game, I hope we have a really good crowd. But we've got to focus on doing the little things because that's what its going to take to beat them."
Missouri State is led by senior guard Tyonna Snow, who averages 16.8 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.1 steals. She is one of three double-figure scorers, along with Kenzie Williams (13.8 ppg) and Liza Fruendt (11.1). In the Lady Bears' win over Southern on Jan. 24, Missouri State shot 57.1% (12-of-21) from 3-point range, with Fruendt shooting 3-of-4 from the arc.
"[Missouri State] shoots lights out," said Stein. "Several of them have range that is six-to-10-feet from behind the arc. You can not have a defensive weakness or weak spot because every single [defender] is needed. You really have to move, talk and be alert on defense."
The Salukis are next in action at the Arena on Sunday, Feb. 21, when they take on the Wichita State Shockers. Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m.
