Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Women's Basketball hosts first-place Drake on Friday night
02/02/2017 | 10:48:00 | Women's Basketball
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- The Salukis host the first-place Drake Bulldogs on Friday, February 3 at 6 p.m., inside the SIU Arena. Fans can tune into WVZA 105.1 FM with game coverage starting at 5:40 p.m., while the contest can also be viewed on ESPN3.
Promotions
Friday's contest against Drake is National Girls and Women in Sports Day. $2 tickets are available for fans 18 & under who come to the game wearing a sports jersey. Fans are also encouraged to wear maroon for Southern's annual "Maroon Out" game.
Series History
The Salukis and the Bulldogs will meet for the 84th time on Friday, with Drake leading the all-time series 55-28. That record, however, can be deceiving, as Southern and Drake have split the 38 (19-19) lifetime meetings in Carbondale. The Bulldogs were victorious their last trip to the Arena, pulling out the 71-64 victory on March 5, 2016. SIU has won three of the last five meetings between the two schools in Carbondale, as Southern's last win at home against the Bulldogs came on Feb. 6, 2015- an 81-76 victory.
Scouting the Bulldogs
The Bulldogs sit alone atop the MVC standings with a 16-4 record, and are off to a 9-0 start in conference play. Drake has won 10 straight, and 13 of its last 14 games, and pulled out an 88-79 win in double overtime against Northern Iowa its last time out. MVC Preseason Player of the Year Lizzy Wendell leads the conference, and is eighth in the nation, in scoring at 22.3 points per game. She leads a potent Drake offense that is shooting 49.1% from the floor, the fourth-best mark in the nation, and averaging 83.4 points per game, the ninth-most in the nation.
Current Salukis vs. the Bulldogs
Rishonda Napier comes into Friday's contest averaging 16.8 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game in seven career meetings against the Bulldogs. In SIU's last win at home over the Bulldogs on Feb. 6, 2015, the Burbank, Calif. native scored 30 points to help Southern break a four-game losing streak to the Bulldogs. Kylie Giebelhausen has scored in double-figures in four of her five career appearances against Drake, including 12 points, five boards and four assists at the Knapp Center on Jan. 8. In that game, Carlie Corrigan led the Salukis in scoring with 14 points on 4-of-6 shooting from beyond the arc. She's a 45% (9-of-20) three-pointer shooter against the Bulldogs in five career meetings.
Climbing up the list
Rishonda Napier shot 42.1 percent (8-of-19) from three point range in Southern's sweep of Bradley and Illinois State, and now has 256 career treys. She's tied with Kourtney Mennen (Indiana State, 1999-03) for 11th on the Missouri Valley Conference's all-time list, and can crack the top-10 with three more three-pointers. Dayna Finch (Creighton, 2001-04) holds the all-time record with 294 made three-pointers.
   8. 261- Kelsey Woodard (Creighton, 2007-11)
      261- Jacqui Kalin (UNI, 2007-10, 2012-13)
10. 258- Melody Howard (Mo. State, 1991-94)
11. 256- Kourtney Mennen (Ind. State, 1999-03)
      256- Rishonda Napier (SIU, 2012-pres.)
1 point from 1,600
Napier can also become just the second Saluki to reach 1,600 career points with her first basket on Friday, as she sits at 1,599 career points. She can also become just the 29th active player to reach the 1,600 points milestone, and will join conference-foes Lizzy Wendell (2,305 pts) and Sara Dickey (1,948 pts) as the only current players in the Valley to do so.
Straw that stirs the drink
Rishonda Napier needs just 15 more assists to become the third Saluki with 400-plus career assists. She should get a boost on her home floor, as the Burbank, Calif. native comes into the weekend series dishing out more than two assists more per game at home, as she averages 5.9 assists per game at the SIU Arena, and 3.7 per game on the road. The two-time All-MVC selection is averaging 4.7 assists per contest this season, second to only Caitlin Ingle in the Valley.
If Napier's average holds, it would be the ninth-highest in a single-season in school history, and the most since Stephany Neptune averaged 5.0 assists per game during the 2009-10 season.
Hitting Milestones
Kylie Giebelhausen made her 160th career three-pointer in the win over Illinois State on Sunday, and she needs to make just two more from downtown to crack the top-3 in school history. The East Peoria, Ill. native hit another milestone on Sunday, as she dished out her 200th career assist. She's one of only 21 Salukis to dish out 200-plus helpers in a career, and she can crack SIU's top-20 with five more assists this season. She also needs just two blocks to become the fourth player in school history to block 100-plus shots.
Defending the Perimeter
The Salukis continue to make it difficult for opponent's to shoot the 3-ball. SIU is holding opponents to just 27.2 percent from three-point range. It is not only tops in the Missouri Valley Conference but also ranks 20th in the nation.
Nebo Rebounds in Bunches
Kim Nebo tied her career-high with 15 rebounds in the win over the Redbirds on Jan. 29. It marked the third time in her career that the Katy, Texas product has recorded 15-plus assists, and the 84th time in Saluki history that a player has grabbed 15+ rebounds. She is now tied with Stephany Neptune (2009-10), Azia Washington (2012-2016), Mary Berghuis (1985-88) and Connie Price (1981-84) for the seventh-most 15-plus rebound games in school history.
# of 15+ rebound games in SIU history
1. Dyana Pierre (2011-2016) 25
2. Amy Rakers (1988-91) 10
3. Bonnie Foley (1976-79) 6
4. Charr Warring (1981-84) 4
Sue Faber (1978-83)
Kelly Firth (1990-93)
7. Kim Nebo (2013-pres.) 3
Stephany Neptune (2009-10)
Azia Washington (2012-2016)
Mary Berghuis ((1985-88)
Connie Price (1981-84)
12. Leola Greer (1980-81) 2
Christel Jefferson (1993-96)
Katie Berwanger (2000-04)
16. Lauren Hartman (2016-pres.) 1
Alexus Patterson (2012-13)
Jasmine Gibson (2006-09)
Jayme Sweere (2005-08)
Theia Hudson (1995-98)
Cathy Kampwerth (1986-89)
Bridgett Bonds (1985-88)
Jeri Hoffman (1976-79)
Robin Deterding (1977-78)
Alondray Rogers (1980-81)
Double-Doubles
Nebo also recorded her fourth double-double of the season, and the seventh of her career, in the win over Illinois State. She scored 13 points and grabbed 15 rebounds, and the Salukis improved to 7-0 all-time in games in which the 2016 MVC Scholar Athlete First Team selection has recorded a double-double.
Napier scores 20
Rishonda Napier scored 20 points in the win over Illinois State, and has now scored 20-plus points in four games this season, and 26 times in her illustrious career.
Leading the break
Olivia Bowling has appeared in all 20 of SIU's games off the bench, and is seventh on the team in minutes played. She tied a career-best with three defensive rebounds and added three assists in just seven minutes in the win over Illinois State and has now recorded three or more assists in three games this season after doing so just once as a freshman.
Playing Grown Up Minutes
Kristen Nelson played a career-high 24 minutes in the win over Bradley, and dished out five assists, which tied her career-best. Nicole Martin, who started for the third-straight game against Illinois State, played a career-high 29 minutes and scored eight points to go along with six rebounds. It marked the fourth-straight contest, and the ninth time in ten games, that the Jefferson City, Mo. native has snagged at least five rebounds. Her next rebound will be the 100th of her career.
Holding their own
The Salukis held the Illinois State Redbirds to just 20 first half points. It was the fewest points allowed to a DI opponent in a half this season. SIU gave up just 17 second half points to Brescia University, a NAIA opponent on Nov. 26.
Absorbing Contact
Kim Nebo went 7-for-11 from the free throw line in the win over the Redbirds, setting career-bests in both categories. It is also the most free throws made and attempted by a Saluki this season.
Protecting the Rim
Kim Nebo recorded a pair of blocks in both of Southern's wins over the weekend, marking the first time in her career that she has blocked multiple shots in consecutive games.
No. 600
SIU head coach Cindy Stein coached her 600th career game at Bradley, the most of any active Valley coach. Missouri State's Kellie Harper is second, having coached 413 career games. Stein's 334 career wins are also the most of any active Valley coach.
Uncharted Territory
The Salukis have made 10-plus three-pointers in seven games, including a streak of four-straight games with 10 or more. Both are school records, as SIU's seven games this season with 10-plus three-pointers is more than the previous four seasons combined. Southern has made an average of 7.8 three-pointers per game this season, well above the school record of 6.67 set last year.
During head coach Cindy Stein's 20 seasons as a head coach, her teams, on average, shoot 473.3 three-pointers, making nearly 151.6 per season. Interestingly enough, the 2015-16 Salukis made (220) and attempted (663) the most three-pointers of any Stein helmed team. The 2016-17 squad is on-pace to crush both totals, as they are 156-of-439 (.355) from downtown through 20 games.
