Friday, November 2
Carbondale, Ill.
6 p.m.
Southern Illinois University
vs
Westminster College (MO)
Women's Basketball hosts Westminster (Mo.) Friday for final exhibition tune-up
11/01/2018 | 11:57:00 | Women's Basketball
CARBONDALE, Ill. – The Saluki women's basketball team will close out its 2018-19 preseason on Friday, Nov. 2 at 6 p.m. as NCAA Division III member Westminster (Mo.) visits the SIU Arena for the final exhibition contest of the season.
For Starters
The Salukis return four of their five starters from a year ago, including All-MVC selection Nicole Martin and All-Freshmen picks Makenzie Silvey and Abby Brockmeyer. In total, 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.
The Opponent
The Westminster Blue Jays, a NCAA DIII affiliate, advanced to the Saint Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title game for the fourth time in school history a year ago and finished with a 15-12 overall record. The Blue Jays were the first four-seed in SLIAC history t o advance to the championship game and the team finished ranked No. 2 nationally in offensive rebounds. The Blue Jays return their top two scorers from a year ago in juniors Kendahl Adams (19.3 ppg, 8.4 rpg) and Mirrakohl Johnson (13.0 ppg, 7.9 rpg).
MVC Preseason Poll
The Salukis were picked to finish fourth in the Missouri Valley Conference preseason poll. Defending MVC champion Drake was projected to finish first, followed by Northern Iowa, Missouri State, SIU and Illinois State rounded out the top-five. It marks the fourth-straight season that SIU has been picked in the top-half of the annual poll.
Stein in Exhibitions
• The Salukis have won eight-straight exhibition contests under head coach Cindy Stein.
• In SIU's exhibition opening win over McKendree on Oct. 26, four Salukis scored in double figures, led by Payton McCallister's game-high 21 points on 7-of-8 shooting, including 2-of-2 from behind the arc. Nicole Martin tallied 14 points and six rebounds, while Makenzie Silvey (12) and Celina VanHyfte (11) also reached double digits. The Salukis defensive tenacity was on full display against the Bearcats, as Southern forced 35 turnovers and came away with 21 steals, which would have tied the school record for steals in a game set in 1994 had it not occurred in an exhibition.
Preseason Accolades
• Nicole Martin - 2018 Preseason All-MVC selection. Martin was one of five chosen to the league's preseason all-conference squad. She was joined by Megan Maahs of Northern Iowa, Alexa Willard of Missouri State, Sara Rhine and Becca Hittner of Drake. Hittner, the reigning MVC Player of the Year, was selected as the league's preseason Player of the Year.
Non-Conference Slate
Five home dates, four away contests and two neutral sites games make up this year's non-conference slate, which is highlighted by SIU's trip to Las Vegas for the 2018 South Point Thanksgiving Shootout. This year's South Point Thanksgiving Shootout will be one of the premier mid-season tournaments in the country, as the eight team field consists of five teams that played in the NCAA Tournament a year ago (Arizona State, Baylor, Buffalo, Louisville, South Dakota State) and a sixth, Georgetown, that advanced to the second round of the WNIT. Southern will take on Hartford (Nov. 23) before tangling with the Arizona State Sun Devils on Nov. 24.
Ticket Packages
Season tickets, mini plans and single-game tickets for the 2018-19 season are available now at the SIU ticket office by calling at 1-877-SALUKIS and online by clicking here.
Follow Us
The official Twitter of Saluki women's basketball is @SIU_WBasketball. Fans are encouraged to follow for in-game updates as well as team news. For coverage of all of SIU's teams, follow @SIUSalukis.
For Starters
The Salukis return four of their five starters from a year ago, including All-MVC selection Nicole Martin and All-Freshmen picks Makenzie Silvey and Abby Brockmeyer. In total, 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.
The Opponent
The Westminster Blue Jays, a NCAA DIII affiliate, advanced to the Saint Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title game for the fourth time in school history a year ago and finished with a 15-12 overall record. The Blue Jays were the first four-seed in SLIAC history t o advance to the championship game and the team finished ranked No. 2 nationally in offensive rebounds. The Blue Jays return their top two scorers from a year ago in juniors Kendahl Adams (19.3 ppg, 8.4 rpg) and Mirrakohl Johnson (13.0 ppg, 7.9 rpg).
MVC Preseason Poll
The Salukis were picked to finish fourth in the Missouri Valley Conference preseason poll. Defending MVC champion Drake was projected to finish first, followed by Northern Iowa, Missouri State, SIU and Illinois State rounded out the top-five. It marks the fourth-straight season that SIU has been picked in the top-half of the annual poll.
Stein in Exhibitions
• The Salukis have won eight-straight exhibition contests under head coach Cindy Stein.
• In SIU's exhibition opening win over McKendree on Oct. 26, four Salukis scored in double figures, led by Payton McCallister's game-high 21 points on 7-of-8 shooting, including 2-of-2 from behind the arc. Nicole Martin tallied 14 points and six rebounds, while Makenzie Silvey (12) and Celina VanHyfte (11) also reached double digits. The Salukis defensive tenacity was on full display against the Bearcats, as Southern forced 35 turnovers and came away with 21 steals, which would have tied the school record for steals in a game set in 1994 had it not occurred in an exhibition.
Preseason Accolades
• Nicole Martin - 2018 Preseason All-MVC selection. Martin was one of five chosen to the league's preseason all-conference squad. She was joined by Megan Maahs of Northern Iowa, Alexa Willard of Missouri State, Sara Rhine and Becca Hittner of Drake. Hittner, the reigning MVC Player of the Year, was selected as the league's preseason Player of the Year.
Non-Conference Slate
Five home dates, four away contests and two neutral sites games make up this year's non-conference slate, which is highlighted by SIU's trip to Las Vegas for the 2018 South Point Thanksgiving Shootout. This year's South Point Thanksgiving Shootout will be one of the premier mid-season tournaments in the country, as the eight team field consists of five teams that played in the NCAA Tournament a year ago (Arizona State, Baylor, Buffalo, Louisville, South Dakota State) and a sixth, Georgetown, that advanced to the second round of the WNIT. Southern will take on Hartford (Nov. 23) before tangling with the Arizona State Sun Devils on Nov. 24.
Ticket Packages
Season tickets, mini plans and single-game tickets for the 2018-19 season are available now at the SIU ticket office by calling at 1-877-SALUKIS and online by clicking here.
Follow Us
The official Twitter of Saluki women's basketball is @SIU_WBasketball. Fans are encouraged to follow for in-game updates as well as team news. For coverage of all of SIU's teams, follow @SIUSalukis.
Players Mentioned
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