Women's Basketball opens final home stand of the season against Indiana State

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- The Southern Illinois women's basketball team will close out the regular season with its final home stand of the 2017-18 season. SIU hosts Indiana State on Thursday, March 1, with tip-off set for 6 p.m. Southern won the first meeting between the two schools, a 64-45 win at the Hulman Center on Dec. 31, in what could be a precursor to a potential Missouri Valley Conference Tournament matchup as SIU currently holds the fourth seed and Indiana State sits in fifth with two games to play.

All-Time vs. the Sycamores

The Salukis and the Sycamores meet for the 92nd time in a series that dates back to the 1968-69 season. The Salukis have won six of the last seven meetings and lead the all-time series 46-45 after defeating the Sycamores, 64-45 in Terre Haute on Dec. 31. In that game, Southern shot 56.3% from the field, held the Trees to 30.2% shooting from the floor and tied the school record for blocks in a game (11)

Current Salukis vs. the Sycamores

Kylie Giebelhausen is a lifetime 47% shooter from the field in seven career meetings against the Sycamores, including 44.7% (17-of-38) from behind the arc. The All-MVC First Team selection from a year ago is averaging 11.7 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.1 steals, 1.4 assists and 1.5 blocks in seven career games against Indiana State and has reached double figures in five of those seven contests. Nicole Martin averaged 6.5 points and 5.5 rebounds a year ago against the Sycamores but finished with no points and three rebounds at Indiana State on Jan. 1.

Scouting the Sycamores

The Sycamores are 8-5 under interim head coach Josh Keister. Ashli O'Neal and Wendi Bibbins are both averaging double figures for Indiana State, as O'Neal is 10th in the league with a 12.0 points per game average and Bibbins is averaging 10.9 points and 8.9 rebounds per contest. The Salukis didn't allow a single Sycamore to reach double figures in the first meeting this season, as O'Neal finished 2-of-12 for nine points. Indiana State was playing with it's point guard Ashley Taia, who's averaging 8.8 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists a game this season. The Sycamores have struggled to find their shot this season, as they currently rank last in the league in field goal percentage (35.9%) and last in three-point field goal percentage (27.8%) but have been able to stay in games by snagging a league-best 9.7 steals per game and forcing 17.5 turnovers per game, which is tops in the MVC.

Possible Seeding for MVC Tournament

The Salukis can finish as high as the third seed and no lower than the fifth seed. In order for the Salukis to nab the third seed they would need to beat both Indiana State and Evansville and Northern Iowa would have to lose to both Valparaiso and Loyola. With a win over Indiana State, the Salukis can clinch at least the fourth seed while a win by UNI in either of their remaining games all but assures that the Salukis will play in the #4 vs. #5 game of the MVC Tournament, which is set for 2:30 pm. on Friday, March 9.

Averaging Double Figures

Four Salukis are currently averaging double figures in scoring, led by Nicole Martin with a 12.0 points per game average. Kylie Giebelhausen (11.6 pts/game), Makenzie Silvey (10.6 pts/game) and Abby Brockmeyer (10.0 pts/game) are also averaging double figures. The last time SIU finished a season with four scorers averaging double figures was the 2007-08 season.

Winningest Senior Class

Kylie Giebelhausen has been a part of 67 wins during her outstanding four-year career- the most wins by a senior class in 22 years. SIU's class of 1996 featured six seniors- LaQuanda Chavours, Robin Downs, Nikki Gilmore, Tracy Holscher, Christel Jefferson and Heather Slater, that won 71 games during their four years. The school record for most wins by a senior class is 96 wins by the class of 1987. The '87 senior class of Marialice Jenkins, Ann Kattreh and Cozette Wallace made back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances and won 37-straight Gateway Conference games, a record that stood for 31 years until this season when the Drake Bulldogs broke their record by winning their 38th-straight MVC game. The 67 wins by the Class of 2018 are the 14th-most in program history, and the fifth-most in the Valley era (since 1992-93 season).

Senior Class | Wins
1987 - 96
1988 - 90
1986 - 90
1989 - 88
1990 - 84
1985 - 82
1993 - 82
1992 - 82
1985 - 82

Home wins

The Salukis are 7-4 at the SIU Arena this season and have won at least nine home games in three-straight seasons, including 10 during the 2015-16 season. Southern is 39-30 (.565) at home under fifth-year head coach Cindy Stein.

Finding open shooters

Brittney Patrick recorded four assists in 19 minutes at Missouri State on Feb. 23, which marked the 10th time this season that Patrick has dished out 4-plus assists in a game. The sophomore point guard came into this season only once having dished out four-plus assists.

Top-20 in the league

Kylie Giebelhausen currently ranks in the top-20 of the MVC in eight statistical categories, including 11th in scoring (11.6), second in minutes played (37.6), fifth in steals (1.5), fifth in three-pointers made (53) and tied for seventh in blocks (1.1). She is also 14th in offensive rebounds (1.3), 13th in assists (2.6) and 18th in rebounds (4.8).

RPI

The Missouri Valley Conference has four teams with top-175 RPIs, according to Warrennolan.com. Drake leads the way at 76 while Missouri State is second at 90, Northern Iowa is third at 138 and SIU is fourth at 158.

Playing beyond their years

Abby Brockmeyer and Makenzie Silvey have each started at least 85% of SIU's games this season, which marks the fifth time dating back to the 1979-80 season in which SIU has had two freshmen start in 80% of it's games. SIU's 14 wins this season are the most of any team to start two freshmen in at least 80% of their games in program history.

Year | # of freshmen to start at least 80% of games | wins
2011-12 | 2 Freshmen | 8
2012-13 | 2 Freshmen | 5
2010-11 | 2 Freshmen | 2
1979-80 | 2 Freshmen | 12

Weekly Honors

The Salukis have won two MVC player of the week honors (Abby Brockmeyer, Nicole Martin) and have claimed the MVC Newcomer of the Week award four times (Makenzie Silvey, Brockmeyer x3). SIU's six combined weekly awards are the most for the Salukis in a single-season in program history and this season marks just the third time in program history that SIU has had two different players win Player of the Week in the same season (2016-17, 1993-94).

MVC Single-Season Record for Overtime Wins

The Salukis improved to 4-0 in overtime games this season with their 88-86 double overtime win over Valparaiso on Feb. 16, breaking the Missouri Valley Conference record for overtime wins in a single-season. Six teams were tied with three overtime games in a single-season, most recently the 2008-09 Evansville Purple Aces, who are also tied the Valley record for most OT games in a single-season (5).

Season | Program | Record in OT Games
2017-18 SIU 4-0
1992-93 Drake 3-0
1982-83 Evansville 3-0
2006-07 Northern Iowa 3-1
1986-87 Wichita St. 3-1
2006-07 Evansville 3-2
2008-09 Evansville 3-2

SIU one of four nationally

SIU is one of four teams in the nation to have won four or more overtime games this season and one of just nine to have played in at least that many overtime games. Creighton recently tied the NCAA record, having played their sixth overtime game this season and are 5-1 in OT games this season. Of the nine teams nationally to have played in at least four overtime games, the Salukis are one of only three with an unblemished record. SIU, American University and Siena College are the only programs to have won at least four overtime games without recording a loss. Southern improved to 4-0 this season in overtime games and SIU's four overtime wins are both a program record and a MVC record for overtime wins in a single-season.

Working Overtime

Southern is 7-3 (.700) in overtime games under fifth-year head coach Cindy Stein and 27-18 (.600) all-time in overtime games since the 1974-75 season.

Leading the Valley

Brockmeyer leads all MVC freshmen in field goal percentage (48.7%), rebounds per game (7.0) and blocks per game (1.23) while she is fourth in points per game (10.0). The Raymond, Ill. native ranks 19th nationally amongst freshmen in rebounds and 20th nationally among freshmen in blocks per game.

Milestone win

Cindy Stein won the 350th game of her career with the win over Loyola on Jan. 19. Her 354 career wins are the most among active Missouri Valley Conference coaches.

Top-3 in steals/blocks

The Salukis rank in the top-3 of the Missouri Valley Conference in both steals and blocked shots, as Southern is currently second in blocks and third in steals. SIU has never finished in the top-5 of both categories in the same season since the NCAA began recording steals and blocks during the 1987-88 season. The Salukis have only finished in the top-five of the conference in steals four times in the past 30 years, most recently when they finished third in 2007-08. Southern has finished in the top-five of the league in blocks in three of Coach Stein's four full seasons and 17 times in the past 30 years.

500 points/300 rebounds

Nicole Martin snagged eight rebounds against Missouri State on Feb. 23 to become the 40th Saluki in program history with at least 500 points and 300 rebounds.

The Only One

Kylie Giebelhausen is the only player in program history to record at least 1,000 points/500 rebounds/250 assists/100 steals/100 blocks. She is one of six Salukis to rank in the top-25 all-time for all five categories, as she's currently 3rd in blocks, 12th in assists, 14th in steals, 11th in points and 20th in rebounds. Giebelhausen joins Bridgett Bonds, Jayme Sweere, Angie Rougeau, Amy Rakers and Sue Faber as the only Salukis to rank in the top-25 all-time in all five statistical categories.

10-plus steals

The Salukis recorded 11 steals against Loyola on Feb. 18, which marked the ninth time SIU has swiped 10-plus steals in a game this season. That's the most 10-plus steal games in a single season in the Cindy Stein era, and the most since the 2007-08 season when the Salukis posted 10 games with 10-plus steals. The school record for most games with at least 10 steals is 20, set by the 1994-95 Salukis.

Kylie Giebelhausen continues to climb the school's all-time rankings in several notable categories:

• The East Peoria, Ill. native is one of 23 Salukis with 500-plus career rebounds. Her 551 career rebounds are the 20th-most in program history and she needs two boards to move past Terica Hathaway for 19th.

• Giebelhausen recored a steal against Loyola on Feb. 18 and now has 136 for her career, which is the 14th-most in program history. She can pass Jayme Sweere for 13th on SIU's all-time list with two steals.

• Giebelhausen's 1252 career points are the 11th-most in program history and she needs 20 points to pass Connie Price-Smith and Molly McDowell for ninth all-time. Her 1252 career points are the the third-most in the MVC and ranks 160th among active NCAA DI student-athletes.

Kylie Giebelhausen's 242 career three-pointers are the second-most in school history and the 15th-most in MVC history.
Giebelhausen became just the third Saluki to crack the 4,000-minute plateau. Her 4,011 career minutes trail only Rishonda Napier (4,138 career minutes) and Cartaesha Macklin (4088) for third all-time. Giebelhausen's career average of 33.1 minutes per game is slightly ahead of Napier's school record average of 32.8 minutes per game.
53.6% of Giebelhausen's 449 career field goals have been three-pointers, which is the highest average amongst Salukis who have made at least 400 career field goals. Of players who have made at least 100 career three-pointers, Karrie Redeker's (1988-92) 62.6% career field goals being three-pointers is the highest. Jordyn Courier (2011-14) is second at 62.2%.

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