Women's Basketball opens 2019-20 season at SIUE on Friday

Friday, November 8

Edwardsville, IL

7 p.m.

Southern Illinois University

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

11/07/2019 | 11:18:00 | Women's Basketball

WBB Game Notes vs. SIUE

By: Will Becque, SIUSalukis.com

The Southern Illinois Salukis open their 61th season of competition on Friday, Nov. 8 at 7 p.m. against SIUE inside First Community Arena at Vadalabene Center. Seventh-year head coach Cindy Stein returns 10 letterwinners from last year's squad, including all five starters from a year ago. The Cougars (0-1) fell to Quincy, 70-65 in their season opener on Tuesday.

Series History

• The all-time series is tied 3-3 in a matchup that dates back to 1975.
• Before renewing the rivalry on Dec. 3, 2011, the Salukis hadn't played the Cougars since 1975.
• SIUE has won the last two meetings between the sister schools.
• The Salukis last win in the series came on Dec. 4, 2015 (71-57) and their last victory in Edwardsville came on Dec. 21, 2012 (68-63).

Last Time vs. SIUE

• The Cougars clipped the Salukis, 57-53 on Nov. 27, 2017 inside Banterra Center.
• The Salukis trailed by one at the half and the contest was tied 42-42 after three quarters. Back-to-back SIUE three-pointers to open the fourth quarter broke the game open and gave the Cougars the lead for good.
• Makenzie Silvey led the Salukis with 15 points on 5-of-10 shooting while Kylie Giebelhausen finished with 13 points, nine rebounds, four assists and two blocks.
• Giebelhausen became the 25th player in SIU women's basketball history to reach 1,000 career points and the first to do so since Rishonda Napier in 2016.

SIU in Season Openers

• The Salukis own a 23-35 all-time record in season openers dating back to the 1961-62 season, having last won their opener in 2017-18, which marked the first time they had done so since 2014.
• The 2017-18 Salukis opened with an 84-72 win over UT Martin behind 25 points from Kylie Giebelhausen.
• Southern is 2-4 in season openers under Cindy Stein.

Starting the season on the Road

• Southern's last road win to open a season came on Nov. 14, 2014 at UT-Martin- an 87-78 win behind a double-double from Dyana Pierre (16 pts./11 rebs.).
• Prior to that victory, the Salukis hadn't opened a season with a road win since the 2000-01 season, when SIU defeated UIC, 57-40 on Nov. 18, 2000.

Peoria Connection

• Paula Buscher and Cindy Stein are both Peoria, Ill. natives who starred at Peoria Richwoods High School and played for Mary Kay Hungate. The two are two years apart in age.
• Both also went to Illinois Central College and played softball and basketball for coaching legend Lorene Ramsey.
• Stein holds a 5-2 all-time record against Buscher's teams dating back to Stein's days at Missouri and Buscher's days at Bradley. Buscher is 2-1 against Stein while at their current schools.

SIU vs. the Ohio Valley Conference

• The Salukis went 3-1 last season against Ohio Valley Conference opponents and have won three-straight over OVC programs.
• In 185 lifetime meetings against OVC schools, the Salukis sport a .718 winning percentage (133-52).

Stein vs. the OVC

• Cindy Stein is 27-12 all-time against OVC schools during her 22 seasons as a head coach.
• Stein sports a .500 or better career record against five OVC schools. However, she is 1-2 all-time against SIUE.

Welcome Home

• Makenzie Silvey went to high school at Edwardsville, and was a three-time all-state honoree.
• Silvey comes into her junior season just 245 points shy of becoming the 27th Saluki to join the 1,000-point club.
• The junior guard would be just the 10th Saluki to reach the 1,000 point milestone as a junior if she does so.
• She already ranks seventh in school history in three-pointers made (120) and needs 38 3-balls this season to crack the top-5.

Freshmen with 10-plus points

• Last season, Payton McCallister became just the 13th Saluki since 1983 to score 10-plus points in her first collegiate game.
• McCallister was the first Saluki freshman to post a 10-5-5 stat line in their debut in program history and her 12 points are tied for the fourth-most in a debut in program history.

Saluki freshmen to score 10-plus in a season opener:
Tanaeya Worden   17   vs. DePaul   2007-08
Makenzie Silvey   15   vs. UT Martin   2017-18
Olivia Lett   14   vs. SLU   2008-09
Mary Berghuis   12   vs. Tennessee   1984-85
Cari Hassell   12   at Vanderbilt   1994-95
Molly McDowell   12   vs. Wisconsin   1999-00
Payton McCallister   12   vs. UT Martin   2018-19
Meredith Jackson   11   vs. Murray St.   1996-97
Dana Olsen   11   vs. Missouri   2006-07
Racquel Ransom   10   vs. Illinois   1991-92
Maria Neibrugge   10   at Northwestern   1997-98
Teri Oliver   10   vs. SLU   2009-10
Ariel Haynes   10   at Austin Peay   2011-12

Nicole Martin named Preseason All-MVC

• Nicole Martin was named to the Preseason All-MVC team for the second-straight season.
• She was one of five named to the Preseason All-MVC team along with Tete Maggett of Illinois State, Karli Rucker of Northern Iowa and Sara Rhine and Becca Hittner of Drake. Hittner, the reigning MVC Player of the Year, was once again selected as the league's preseason Player of the Year.

Lots Back

• The Salukis have 10 letter winners back from a year ago including all five starters.
• SIU returns 95.3% of its scoring and 94.2% of its rebounding from a year ago.

Close Losses

• The Salukis went 15-15 a year ago, with 10 of their 15 losses coming by nine points or fewer.
• Of those 10 losses, four were by three points or fewer.

Did you know

• The Saluki coaching staff has the most NCAA and Division I wins of any staff in the MVC.
• Including Coach Stein, Jody Adams and Nicole Collier have head coaching experience.

D1 wins (MVC Coaching Staffs)
1. SIU - 445
2. Northern Iowa - 226
3. Drake - 152
4. Bradley - 45
5. Illinois State - 44
6. Loyola - 22
7. Evansville - 21
8. Indiana State - 11
9. Valparaiso - 8
10. Missouri State - 1

NCAA Wins (MVC Coaching Staffs)
1. SIU - 481
2. Bradley - 371
3. Drake - 242
4. Northern Iowa - 226
5. Illinois State - 139
6. Valparaiso - 36
7. Loyola - 22
8. Evansville - 21
9. Indiana State - 11
10. Missouri State - 1

Making their debuts

• In addition to returning 10 letterwinners from a year ago, Southern adds a talented quartet of newcomers to the mix in 2019-20.
• Freshmen Allea Potter and Frankie Kokkines both arrive in Carbondale after accomplished high school careers while transfers Awa Keita and Gabby Walker will also suit up for the Salukis this season.
• Keita is a junior transfer from Cochise College, where she was a two-time NJCAA All-American.
• Walker is a redshirt junior who helped Lindenwood-Belleville (NCAA DII) win their first-ever conference tournament title in 2018.

Smart Salukis

• SIU was named to the Women's Basketball Coaches Association Academic Top-25 Team Honor Roll for the 2018-19 season.
• SIU earned the 11th-best combined grade point average in NCAA Division I women's basketball.
• Southern's No. 11 ranking is a new program record.
• SIU's 3.621 combined GPA, meanwhile, is the highest it has been of the now five times that the Salukis have earned a spot on the list.