Southern Illinois University
16-12,8-9MVC
Loyola University Chicago
15-13,6-11MVC
Stingy defense carries Salukis to 58-41 win over Ramblers
03/05/2020 | 9:04:00 | Women's Basketball
Southern held Loyola to season-lows in FG% and points in the win.
CARBONDALE, Ill. - The Southern Illinois University women's basketball team used a 15-0 second quarter run to build a lead that stood up in a 58-41 win over the Loyola Ramblers Thursday night inside Banterra Center. Southern's stingy defense played an integral role in the victory, as it held Loyola to season-lows in both field goal percentage (31.5%) and points (41).
Not only did SIU turn Loyola over 18 times and come away with nine steals, but the Salukis also out-rebounded the Ramblers, 38-to-34 and played clean defense. Loyola tied its season-low with just five makes from the charity stripe and went to the free throw seven times.
"Loyola is a good shooting team and we knew we had to defend at every position," seventh-year head coach Cindy Stein said. "We knew they were going to try to take it to the basket hard on us and we didn't want to put them at the line. I was really pleased with our defense. Our defense won the game for us."
Southern scored nearly a third (19-of-58) of its points off of turnovers and led for 37 of the game's 40 minutes. SIU's rebounding efforts were led by Abby Brockmeyer, who grabbed a career-high 15 boards. She also set a new career-best with four steals and added eight points.
"We talk a lot about defense and rebounding, and I felt like we did a good job in both of those categories," Stein said. "I felt like our offense sputtered at times but when you're playing in the Valley that happens because every team knows each other so well that you've got to find different ways to score. We did that throughout the game- we found different ways to score."
The Ramblers took their largest lead, 19-16 with 7:22 to play in the second quarter. Awa Keita entered the game less than 40 seconds later and keyed the Salukis' 15-0 run with her defensive prowess. The junior transfer had three blocks in her first five minutes and overwhelmed Loyola's shooters with her length and athleticism.
"I can't be more proud of the group that was in there in the second quarter," Stein said. "Awa Keita led that charge. I give her a lot of credit- she got a lot of deflections and blocks and that gets everyone revved up and going. Her energy off the bench was key especially when they were making a run in the fourth quarter."
Keita finished with three blocks, three assists, two steals, two rebounds and one point in 14 minutes off the bench. She also tied for the team-lead with a +/- of 21, which means that when the Bamako, Mali native was on the floor, Southern outscored Loyola by 21 points.
After the Ramblers outscored the Salukis, 15-6 in the third quarter and drew to within three, 41-38 with 6:44 remaining in regulation, the Salukis closed the contest on a 17-3 run to seal the win.
Offensively, Nicole Martin led the way with 16 points on 5-of-9 shooting to go along with six boards. Makenzie Silvey chipped in 14 points, five rebounds and an assist.
The Salukis will honor their five seniors- Brittney Patrick, Nicole Martin, Caitlyn Claussen, Lauren Hartman and Kristen Nelson- after Saturday's game against Valparaiso. The game will have extra meaning for the two teams, as it will determine who gets the sixth seed, and thus, avoids the play-in round of the 2020 MVC Tournament on Thursday, March 12.
