Southern Illinois University
William Woods University (Mo.)
Salukis host William Woods University for exhibition on Sunday
12/27/2019 | 8:14:00 | Women's Basketball
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- The Southern Illinois University women's basketball team returns to Banterra Center on Sunday, Dec. 29 when it hosts William Woods University for a midseason exhibition contest beginning at 2 p.m.
The Salukis (8-3), winners of three-straight and six of their last seven games, are coming off an impressive showing at the Compass Challenge in DeKalb, Ill. in which SIU successfully defended its championship with a pair of double-digit wins. Southern defeated Western and Northern by an average of 17.5 points and shot a combined 47.6 percent from the field in its two wins. The Salukis' eight non-conference wins this season are tied for the most in a single-season in program history and are the most since 1987.
Makenzie Silvey took home Tournament MVP honors after she helped the Salukis win the Compass Challenge for the second-straight season. The junior guard averaged 14.5 points, four assists and two steals for the tournament. Kristen Nelson, meanwhile, earned a spot on the All-Tournament team for the second-straight season after she averaged 11.5 points, 4.5 assists and 1.5 steals per game in SIU's two wins. As a team, the Salukis rank in the top-25 nationally in both field goal percentage (19th; 46.4%) and three-point field goal percentage (22nd; 37.6%).
Southern will use the exhibition as a chance to knock off the rust created by winter break prior to the grind that is the Missouri Valley Conference schedule. SIU opens Valley play next weekend with road games at Valparaiso (1/3) and Loyola (1/5). The Salukis will have the opportunity to tinker with their rotations and get players into game-like situations who haven't yet had a chance to in a game that SIU no doubt will play to win, but won't count as a game regardless of outcome.
William Woods, who plays in the NAIA's American Midwest Conference, opened the season with eight-straight wins but have since lost four in a row. Last season, the Owls played the Western Illinois Leathernecks close in a midseason exhibition, trailing by just three at the start of the fourth before the Leathernecks pulled away late for an 81-73 win. The Owls come in ranked 19th in NAIA in scoring defense, allowing opponents to score just 59.7 points per game. Peyton Greenlee comes into Sunday's contest averaging 15.1 points per game and ranks top-25 in NAIA in blocks per game (1.25/game).
Tickets for the contest are available by calling 1-877-Salukis and can also be ordered online at siusalukis.com/tickets.
Compass Challenge Champs
- The Southern Illinois Salukis defeated Western Illinois, 79-65 and followed with an 80-61 win over Northern Illinois to win the Compass Challenge for the second-straight season.
- Makenzie Silvey was named the Tournament's MVP for the second-straight season while Kristen Nelson earned a spot on the All-Tournament Team once again.
Dropping Dimes
- Southern's ball movement was superb in both of its wins at the Compass Challenge. The Salukis dished out 23 assists in the win over the Leathernecks and finished with 24 assists in the win over the Huskies for an average of 23.5 assists per game.
- It's the first back-to-back 20-plus assist games for Southern since 2016.
- SIU's 24 assists in the win over NIU were its most against a DI opponent since 2001.
Lighting it up from 3
- SIU shot 43.3% (13-for-30) from three in the win over Western Illinois and its 13 threes are tied for the third-most in a game in school history.
