Women's Basketball hosts McKendree Friday night for exhibition opener

Friday, October 26

Carbondale, Ill.

6 p.m.

Southern Illinois University

McKendree University

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Women's Basketball hosts McKendree Friday night for exhibition opener

10/25/2018 | 11:22:00 | Women's Basketball

Friday's exhibition opener is the first of two exhibition contests that the Salukis will play this season.

By: Will Becque, SIUSalukis.com

CARBONDALE, Ill. – The Southern Illinois University women's basketball team plays its first of two exhibition contests Friday night, as the Salukis tangle with NCAA DII foe McKendree University in their exhibition opener. Tipoff inside SIU Arena is set for 6 p.m.

Promotions

It's Halloween inside the SIU Arena tomorrow! Wear a costume and get into the game free of charge, as well as trick or treat around the SIU Arena concourse.

Scouting McKendree

The McKendree Bearcats, a NCAA Division II team under the direction of head coach Kari Kerkhoff, are coming off a strong 2017-18 season in which they went 12-14, including a three-game win streak to close out the regular season before a loss in the first round of the GLVC Tournament to Drury. The Bearcats have won at least 10 games in each of Kerkhoff's three seasons as head coach and were picked to finish eighth out of 14 teams in the annual GLVC preseason poll. McKendree returns all five of its top scorers from a year ago, including its two top-scorers in Jordan Heberg (12.4 ppg) and Sydney Diekhoff (11.8 ppg).

Last season

The Salukis finished the 2017-18 season with a 17-14 overall record and an 11-7 mark in Missouri Valley Conference play. SIU posted a winning record for the fourth-straight season, the longest such streak for the Salukis in 20 years. Southern also advanced to the MVC Tournament semifinals for the second time in three seasons.

Martin, Brockmeyer Headline Returners

Head coach Cindy Stein begins her sixth season at the helm for the Salukis. SIU returns an experienced nucleus of 10 letterwinners from last season. The returners are led by 2018 All-MVC first team selection Nicole Martin as well as 2018 MVC Freshman of the Year Abby Brockmeyer. Martin had a breakout sophomore campaign in which she led the team in scoring and finished the regular season ranked in the top-15 in the Valley in six statistical categories while Brockmeyer led all MVC freshmen in rebounds, blocks, offensive rebounds and defensive rebounds.

Talented Newcomers

In addition to returning 12 letterwinners from a year ago, Southern will add a talented trio of newcomers to the mix in 2018-19. Freshmen Caitlin Link and Payton McCallister both come from state championship winning high school programs and are set to make their collegiate debuts.

Link is from Madison, Wisconsin where she attended Edgewood High School. Edgewood went 25-3 in 2017 and won the Wisconsin Division 3 state title. In the state title game, Link finished with 10 points, seven rebounds, three assists and two steals to help Edgewood defeat Greendale Martin Luther, 51-30. As a senior, Link helped the Crusaders to a 14-9 record after she averaged 20.4 points per game, including a career-high 37 points at Monona Grove on Feb. 15.

McCallister came to SIU by way of Rock Bridge High School, where she was ranked a three-star recruit by ESPN. A floor leader who provides versatility with her length at the guard position and her tenacious defense, McCallister won a state title as a freshmen at Rock Bridge High School. As a junior, McCallister averaged 12.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.6 steals, 2.6 assists per game and shot 35% from three-point range to lead the Bruins to a third-place finish at the state tournament.

Lots of Production Back

Southern Illinois brings back the bulk of its statistical production from last season with a roster that includes seven underclassmen and eight upperclassmen. The Salukis return 81.8 percent of their scoring output from last year, 85.9 percent of their rebounds, 81.3 percent of their steals and 79.2 percent of their assists.

Random Fact

The most common number worn in school history is No. 33. 14 Salukis, including Saluki Hall of Famers Bonnie Foley and Kasia McClendon, have worn the number dating back to 1976. Sophomore Rachel Pudlowski currently wears the number.

Picked to finish 4th

The Salukis were picked to finish fourth in the Missouri Valley Conference preseason poll. Two-time defending MVC champion Drake was projected to finish first, followed by Northern Iowa and Missouri State. SIU and Illinois State rounded out the top-five. It marks the fourth-straight season that SIU has been picked fourth in the annual poll.