Southern Illinois University
Wichita State University
Women's Basketball opens MVC Tournament against Wichita State
03/09/2017 | 2:52:00 | Women's Basketball
MOLINE, Ill. -- The Southern Illinois women's basketball team will take on the Wichita State Shockers on Friday, March 10 in the quarterfinals of the 2017 Missouri Valley Conference Tournament. The Salukis have won four-straight and will try for their third win this season over the Shockers.
Series History
The Salukis and the Shockers meet for the 72nd time in a series that dates back to 1981. Southern leads the all-time series 38-33 and swept the season series from the Shockers for the first time since the 2007-08 season. The Salukis defeated the Shockers, 77-54 inside the SIU Arena on Jan. 13, and stormed back from being down 12 in the fourth quarter to stun Wichita State on its home floor on Feb. 12. The two teams have met just once in the conference tournament, an 83-65 Salukis win in the quarterfinals of the 1995-96 MVC Tournament.
Current Salukis vs. the Shockers
Rishonda Napier comes into Friday's contest averaging 15.2 points, 3.2 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game in seven career meetings against the Shockers. In SIU's 77-54 win on Jan. 13, Napier recorded her second double-double of the season, as she finished with 18 points on 6-of-10 shooting including 5-of-8 from three-point range and added 11 assists. In six games against the Shockers, Kylie Giebelhausen is shooting 52.2% from the field (35-of-67), including 56.7% (21-of-37) from beyond the arc and averages 15.5 points per contest. Kim Nebo notched one of her eight double-doubles of this season in the first meeting this season with Wichita State, as she finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds. She narrowly had another at Wichita State, as she finished with 12 points and nine rebounds.
Scouting the Shockers
The Shockers are 8-5 under Linda Hargrove, who returned to the sideline to replace Jody Adams. Adams resigned following Wichita State's win at Evansville on Jan. 15. Hargrove was 113-136 at Wichita State from 1989-98. During that stint with the Shockers, Hargrove's teams ran up against some of the all-time great Saluki teams coached by Cindy Scott, with Hargrove holding a 5-14 all-time record against the Salukis. All-MVC First Team selection Rangie Bessard is averaging 16.4 points and 7.2 rebounds per game to lead the Shockers, and in four career meetings against the Salukis, is averaging 14.7 points and 9.2 rebounds.
History as the No. 4 seed
This marks the third time that the Salukis have earned the fourth seed in the conference tournament. During the 1993-94 season, the Salukis fell to the Drake Bulldogs in the quarterfinals of the MVC Tournament, 80-67 as the four seed. Southern again earned the fourth seed for last year's tournament, in which they defeated Loyola, 73-64 in the quarterfinals and advanced to the semifinals for the first time since the 1996-97 season. SIU fell to the eventual conference runner-ups, the Northern Iowa Panthers, 67-43.
Conference Tournament History
The Salukis are 17-23 all-time in the conference tournament and last won the conference tournament in 1989-90, defeating Illinois State, 71-54 behind Tournament MVP Amy Rakers. Southern won last season in the quarterfinals for the first time since 1996-97 season, with SIU's last semifinal win coming during the 1992-93 season when the Salukis defeated Creighton, 71-69 in overtime to advance to the championship game.
Three earn All-Valley honors
Kylie Giebelhausen, Rishonda Napier and Nicole Martin all earned postseason recognition from the Valley. For Napier it marks the third time in her career that she's earned All-MVC First-Team honors, as she joins Nikki Gilmore and Dyana Pierre as the only three-time All-MVC First Team selections in program history. Giebelhausen, meanwhile, earned the first All-MVC selection of her career after she led the Salukis in scoring and finished in the top-10 in the Valley in six statistical categories. Nicole Martin, who's 5.2 rebounds per game are the fourth-most of any Valley freshman, was one of five selected to the All-Freshman Team. Martin is the 10th Saluki all-time to earn All-Freshman team accolades, joining both Napier and Giebelhausen in doing so.
Three earn MVC Scholar-Athlete Team honors
Kim Nebo and Rishonda Napier repeated on the MVC Scholar-Athlete First Team, while Kylie Giebelhausen moved up to the MVC Scholar-Athlete Second Team after being named MVC Scholar-Athlete Honorable Mention a year ago. It marks the first time in program history that SIU has had repeat first team selections, and Southern's three total honorees are tied with Northern Iowa for the most of any Valley school. Napier is just the fifth Saluki to earn three Scholar-Athlete honors in a career, and the first to do so since Erica Smith earned her third selection following the 2007-08 season. 21 different Salukis have earned MVC Scholar-Athlete recognition since the 1992-93 season.
20+ assists
The Salukis finished with 26 assists on 32 field goals in the 71-46 win over Loyola. The 26 assists are tied for the sixth-most in a single game in program history and are the most that Southern has dished out in a conference game this season. A season-high 10 Salukis recorded an assist in the win.
On a Roll
Southern has won four-straight heading into the MVC Tournament, its longest win streak to end the regular season since the 2006-07 season.
Beating the same team three times
The Salukis will try to beat Wichita State for the third time this season after having swept the season series from the Shockers with a dramatic, come from behind, win at Koch Arena on Feb. 12. Southern last defeated Wichita State three times in the same season during the 1995-96 season, which also marks the last time that SIU beat the same opponent three times in one season. Southern has done six times in school history, which are listed below:
1986-87- Bradley: 3-0
1986-87 - Eastern Illinois: 3-0
1989-90 - Bradley: 3-0
1991-92 - Illinois State 3-0
1992-93 - Illinois State 3-0
1995-96 - Wichita State 3-0
Time is on her side
Rishonda Napier became the second player in school history to eclipse the 4,000 career minute mark, joining Cartaesha Macklin as the only Salukis to have done so. Napier has now played 4,072 career minutes, and needs to play just 17 more minutes this season to break Macklin's school record of 4,088 minutes, set a year ago.
Moving on up
Rishonda Napier made one three-pointer in the win over Loyola and now has 274 career three-pointers. Not only is that tied for the 11th-most three-pointers by an active DI player, but the Burbank, Calif. native needs to make just three more to pass Indiana State's Brittany Schoen for second on the Missouri Valley Conference's all-time list.
1. 294- Dayna Finch (Creighton, 2001-04)
2. 276-Brittany Schoen (Ind. St., 2008-12)
3. 274-Rishonda Napier (SIU, 2012-pres.)
900 Career Points Kylie Giebelhausen scored 26 points to lead the Salukis to a 70-66 win over Indiana State on March 2. She became the 27th Saluki to reach 900 career points.
600 Career Field Goals
Rishonda Napier became the sixth Saluki to make 600 field goals in a career. She can move past Char Warring for fifth on SIU's all-time list with two made field goals.
Leaving her mark
Napier can crack the top-10 in school history in yet another category on Friday, as she needs to make two free throws to pass Theia Hudson for 10th on SIU's all-time made free throws list. With three, the Burbank, Calif. native can pass Kelly Firth for ninth. Napier has made 237 free throws in her career and her .849 free throw percentage is the best in school history.
Passing Kampwerth
Kylie Giebelhausen recorded a block in SIU's win over March 4th and moved her past Cathy Kampwerth for third on SIU's all-time list.
Holding them in check
The Salukis allowed the Indiana State Sycamores to score just 17 first half points. It was the fewest points allowed in a first half by the Salukis in the Cindy Stein era, and the fewest since SIU held the Sycamores to just 14 points at the SIU Arena on Jan. 29, 2011.
Dialed in from long distance
The Salukis made 70.6% (12-of-17) from three-point range in the win over Indiana State on March 2. It's the best SIU has shot from three-point range (minimum 15 attempts) since at least the 1988-89 season. The Salukis twice shot 11-for-16 (68.8%) from beyond the arc, doing so against Missouri State on Jan. 26, 1997 and then again at Drake on Feb. 19, 2006.
Getting Buckets in the Paint
The Salukis scored a season high 46 points in the paint in their win over Loyola on Mar. 4. It marked the ninth time this season that SIU has scored 30-plus points in the paint, and Southern improved to 9-0 on the season when doing so.
Tweaking the lineup
Ashley Hummel made her first career start against Evansville. It marked the seventh different lineup that the Salukis have used this season.
Forcing Turnovers
SIU forced 19 Illinois State turnovers and came away with 12 steals on Feb. 24, both of which are season-bests against a DI opponent. The Salukis tallied 13 steals and 23 turnovers in their Nov. 23 win over NAIA opponent Brescia University.
Cracking the top-25
Rishonda Napier moved past Wichita State's Alex Harden for 21st on the MVC's all-time list for points, as she now has 1,713 career points. She needs 20 points to pass Christy Neneman (Creighton, 2000-04) for 20th.
Dynamic Duo
Kylie Giebelhausen and Rishonda Napier are 1-2 in the league in three-pointers made, as Giebelhausen has made 77 while Napier sits at 68. The duo is the first pair in school history to make at least 60 three pointers in back-to-back seasons. Last season, Napier finished with the second-most made treys in school history (85), while Giebelhausen made the 10th-most in a single-season (60) to become the first Saluki twosome since Christine Presswood and Teri Olivier in 2009-10 to make 60-plus three-pointers in a season. Should Giebelhausen and Napier finish 1-2 in the Valley in three-pointers made, it will mark the third-straight season that teammates have done so. Northern Iowa's Amber Sorenson and Madison Weekly finished first and second in the league in each of the past two seasons.
More Threes
Giebelhausen's 77 three-pointers this season are the fourth-most in a single season in school history. With three three-pointers on Firday, Giebelhausen can pass Cari Hassell for the third-most in a single season in school history. Napier, meanwhile, currently has the 10th-most in a single season.
Milestones a plenty
Kylie Giebelhausen dished out her 200th career assist earlier this season, becoming one of only 21 Salukis to dish out 200-plus helpers in a career, and became just the 4th Saluki to swat 100 career shots with her last block. She is the only player in SIU history with at least 800 career points/300 rebounds/200 assists/100 blocks.
More milestones
Napier became the 3rd Saluki with 400-plus career assists with her seven assists in the win over the Shockers. She joined D.D. Plab (508) and Cartaesha Macklin (486) as the only Salukis with 400-plus career assists. The three-time All-MVC selection is averaging 4.6 assists per contest this season, second to only Caitlin Ingle in the Valley. If her 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
.Comeback Kids
SIU erased a 15-point halftime deficit to defeat the Northern Iowa Panthers, 64-59 on Sunday. It marked the third time this season that the Salukis have rallied to win after trailing by a deficit of 15 points or more. SIU roared back from being down 15 to down the SEMO Redhawks on Dec. 9, and later came back from being down 16 points to stun the UMKC Kangaroos on their home floor. The 2016-17 Salukis are the first team in recorded school history to have overcome three deficits of 15-points or more in the same season.
Shooting at a high percentage
The Salukis shot 53.3% (32-of-60) from the floor in their win over the Loyola Ramblers on March 4. It marked the fourth time this season that SIU has shot 50% or better from the field, and the tenth time during the Cindy Stein era that the Salukis have done so. SIU is 4-0 this season when making at least half of their attempts.
Coming alive in the second half
The Salukis scored 43 points in the second half of their win over Northern Iowa on Feb. 5, marking the eighth time this season that Southern has scored 40-plus points after halftime. SIU is 8-0 this season when scoring 40-plus second half points.
Streak Ended
Rishonda Napier had her streak of 20-straight games with at least one three-pointer come to an end against Bradley, as she went 0-for-1 from downtown. It marked her fewest attempts from beyond the arc since Mar. 9, 2013, when the Burbank, Calif. native also went 0--for-1 from three.
Cleaning Glass
Kim Nebo cracked the top-25 in program history with her eight rebounds against Loyola.She sits at 479 career rebounds, and has an outside chance to become the 23rd Saluki to grab 500 career boards.
Double-Doubles
Kim Nebo has 11 career double-doubles, nine of which have come this season. It's the second-most double-doubles in the Valley this season.
Uncharted Territory
The Salukis have made 10-plus three-pointers in eight games this season, which included a streak of four-straight games with 10 or more. Both are school records, as SIU's eight games this season with 10-plus three-pointers is more than the previous four seasons combined. Southern has made an average of 7.3 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 could break both marks, as they are 211-of-598 (.353) from downtown through 29 games.
