Southern Illinois University
Loyola University Chicago
Salukis close out regular season vs. Loyola and Valparaiso
03/04/2020 | 3:08:00 | Women's Basketball
Southern will honor its five seniors following Saturday's game against Valparaiso
Promotions
• Thursday night's game is Faculty and Staff Appreciation Night. All SIU faculty and staff can get a free ticket to the game.Â
• Sunday is Senior Day and all fans are encouraged to hang around after the game to help us celebrate our seniors.
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All-Time vs. the Ramblers
• The Salukis and the Ramblers will meet for the 19th time in a series that dates back to 1982.
• Southern fell to 10-8 against Loyola after it dropped a 51-49 decision in Chicago on Jan. 5, 2020.
• The Salukis have won six of the last eight meetings between the two teams and won the first-ever meeting between the two schools, a 75-60 win at Loyola on Dec. 18, 1982.
Sustained success
• With SIU's win over Evansville on Feb. 23, the Salukis clinched a winning record for the sixth-straight season under seventh-year head coach Cindy Stein.Â
• It's the longest streak of winning seasons for the program since 1997, when Southern capped off an impressive run of 14-straight winning seasons under then head coach Cindy Scott.Â
Applying Pressure
• The Salukis forced 25 turnovers and came away with 13 steals against Bradley on Feb. 27, which marked the seventh-straight game in which Southern has finished with double-digit steals.Â
• The seven-game streak is the longest in the NCAA era in program history and it was the 43rd time in Cindy Stein's seven-year tenure as head coach that Southern has finished with double-digit steals.
• Kristen Nelson has recorded at least one steal in 22-straight games.
• Southern's 19 steals against Drake on Feb. 7 were its most in a game since Nov. 12, 2007 in a 71-55 win over Christian Brothers.Â
Body of Work
• Southern is currently one of six Missouri Valley Conference teams with a top-110 RPI.
• SIU's strength of schedule rank of 95 is its highest since at least 2002 and its RPI of 103 is the highest its been since 2007, when the Salukis went to the WNIT.Â
• SIU's four top-100 wins this season are its most since at least 2002.Â
Moving Up
• Brittney Patrick averaged five assists per game in SIU's two road games last weekend.
• In doing so she cracked the top-five in program history for career assists.Â
• The senior from Bolingbrook, Ill. dished out her 370th career assist and sits 13 back of Angie Rougeau for fourth in school history.Â
Senior Day
• Southern will honor its five seniors, Caitlyn Claussen, Lauren Hartman, Nicole Martin, Kristen Nelson and Brittney Patrick after Saturday's game against Valparaiso.Â
• Claussen was recently named one of the winter recipients of the MVC's Good Neighbor Award. She has already received her degree from SIU in management and has a perfect 4.0 GPA in her MBA program.
• Hartman has played in 108 games during her Saluki career and has amassed over 250 points and 250 rebounds. She earned the MVC Newcomer of the Week as a freshman after she snagged 16 rebounds in SIU's win over Purdue on Nov. 20, 2016.
• Nelson has played 120 games, including 65 starts, and she ranks in the top-10 in school history for career three-pointers made (107).Â
• Martin is a two-time All-MVC first team selection that is currently eighth on SIU's all-time scoring list. The Jefferson City, Mo. native has played in 120 games during her career and has made 95 starts. She's scored in double figures in 69 career games and is three rebounds shy of 700 for her career.
• Nelson has played 119 games. including 64 starts, and has scored over 700 points with over 250 assists in her career. She will leave SIU ranked in the top-10 in program history for three-pointers made.
• Patrick has played in 115 career games with 71 starts. The DeKalb, Ill. native will end her career ranked in the top-five in school history in assists and in the top-10 in career steals.
What's at stake
• Southern can finish anywhere from sixth to eighth in the Missouri Valley Conference depending how the weekend plays out.Â
• With wins over Loyola and Valparaiso, SIU will lock up the sixth seed and avoid Thursday's play-in round.
• Loyola would need to beat both Missouri State and SIU and would need a Valparaiso win over Southern to secure the sixth seed.
• Valparaiso could also clinch the sixth seed with a weekend sweep.
15-plus assists
• Southern dished out 16 assists against Illinois State on March 1.
• The Salukis have finished with 15 or more assists in 16 games this season.Â
• SIU ranks second in the Valley, and 37th nationally, with a 15.7 assists per game average.Â
