Southern Illinois University
6-8,3-6MVC
Illinois State University
9-4,6-4MVC
Salukis hold on for 43-41 win over Redbirds
02/06/2021 | 8:12:00 | Women's Basketball
Southern held Illinois State to a season-low 14 points in the win.
CARBONDALE, Ill. - The Southern Illinois University women's basketball team knocked off the Illinois State Redbirds with an exhilarating 43-41 win Saturday inside the Banterra Center.
The Redbirds, who came into the weekend ranked second in the Missouri Valley Conference with a 71.8 points per game scoring average, were held to a season-low 41 points. Southern trailed by as many as 15 in the first half but got back into the game with stingy defense. The Salukis forced 17 turnovers and allowed just 14 second half points, which included just four points in a third quarter which saw SIU outscore ISU, 18-4.
"Im so pleased with our grittiness and our defense," eighth-year head coach Cindy Stein said. "Illinois State came out and jumped on us and we had a group in there that wouldn't be denied. We got it to within 10 at the half, we then started the third quarter with a lot of grit and some great defensive stops. We moved the ball like we wanted to on offensive. I can't say enough about our gritty defense and our rebounding today- we knew we were going to need to do that to win. I thought we had some great play throughout."
Southern got off to a slow start, as Illinois State scored the first eight points of the game and got out to a 23-8 lead with 5:33 to go in the second quarter. The Salukis chipped away at their deficit, as they got to within 10, 27-17 at the half. SIU opened the third quarter with nine-unanswered points to draw to within one and took its first lead of the game on a layup by Adrianna Katcher with 3:58 to play in the stanza. The Salukis held the Redbirds to just 20-percent (2-of-10) shooting in the third quarter and to just 23-percent (6-of-26) shooting in the second half.
The Salukis never trailed in the fourth quarter but also never led by more than three. Katcher made an athletic move to the basket and laid it in with :58 to play to give SIU a 42-39 lead. Illinois State got to within one before Quierra Love knocked down one of two free throws with :07 to play to give SIU a 43-41 lead. Southern methodically managed the contest from there, choosing to use both of its fouls remaining to force Illinois State to inbound the ball three-straight times. The confusion worked, as an errant inbounds pass intended for Juliunn Redmond skidded out of bounds and sealed SIU's first win over Illinois State since 2017 and snapped Southern's six-game losing streak.
"This was a big game for us," Makenzie Silvey said. "We've obviously been on a losing streak but we've been right there in every game. We're competing with the best in the conference so we knew we needed to grit this out and get this one. We knew our defense could get us there because our shots weren't falling so we needed to rely on our defense to get us wins."
Even without Abby Brockmeyer in the lineup for the second-straight game, Southern found a way to get it done with contributions from throughout its lineup. Silvey scored seven of her 13 points in the third quarter and added seven assists, five rebounds and three steals. The two-time All-MVC selection scored seven-straight points over a two minute stretch in the third that saw SIU go from being down eight to just one. Katcher scored in double figures for the second time in her young career as she added 10 points and five boards. Gabby Walker tallied seven points and six rebounds while Payton McCallister chipped in eight points and five boards.
"We relied so much on Abby," Stein said. "Playing without her these couple of games could be a blessing in disguise in that we learned how to win without an all-conference player at center. That is what I liked about our group on the floor tonight. We definitely deserved this win and we've been working hard for it."
The Salukis are back in action beginning Thursday, Feb. 11 when they travel to Des Moines, Iowa to take on the Drake Bulldogs. Tip-off both days is set for 5 p.m.
NOTES: 41 points are the fewest scored by the Redbirds in a game since Nov. 10, 2019 … first time Southern has held an opponent without a three-pointer since doing so against Indiana State on Feb. 21, 2020
