Salukis continue road trip at Murray State, Belmont

CARBONDALE, Ill. - The Southern Illinois women's basketball team will look to snap its three-game losing streak this weekend, as the Salukis travel to Murray State on Friday before finishing a four-game road trip on Sunday at Belmont.

HOW TO WATCH/LISTEN

Friday night's game between SIU and Murray State will tip-off at 6 p.m. on ESPN3 and ESPN College Extra. Trey Reamer will have the radio call on 95.1 Steve FM from the CFSB Center in Murray, Ky.
Sunday's game between SIU and Belmont will begin at 2 p.m. and can be watched on ESPN+. The game will again be on 95.1 Steve FM with Reamer on the call from the Curb Event Center in Nashville, Tenn.

QUICK HITS

The Salukis hold a record of 6-9 overall and 3-3 in Valley play. Away from home, Southern is 3-4 this season.
SIU enters the weekend on a three-game losing skid, with two of its losses being by three points each.
Southern Illinois currently sits eighth in the conference standings and is one of three teams to hold a 3-3 Valley record (UIC and Belmont).
The Salukis are third in the MVC in scoring, averaging 72.3 points-per-game. The average ranks 74th in the nation so far this season.
In seven games in 2022-23, the Salukis have scored more than 70 points. SIU holds a record of 5-2 when reaching the 70-point plateau.
Southern Illinois ranks fifth in the Valley in field goal percentage, shooting 41% from the field this season. From three-point range, the Salukis are fourth in the conference at 33%.
The Salukis have found success along the offensive glass, averaging 12.7 offensive rebounds-per-game, the second-best average in the Valley.
No team in the conference averages more steals-per-game than SIU at 10.67, which is also tied for 28th in the country.
The success on the defensive end doesn't stop with steals, as Southern is second in the conference in blocks (4.4). The average is good enough to have the Salukis seated within the top 50 in the NCAA, where they are 45th in blocks-per-game.
Playmaking has been another positive mark of the SIU offense, as the team is averaging 14.93 assists-per-game, the third-best number in the Valley.

LEADING THE SALUKIS

Ashley Jones has paced the Salukis in scoring all season, averaging 15.0 points-per-game. Jones is sixth in the conference in scoring, and 11th in free throw percentage at 75%.
Jones has scored in double-figures in 12 of 14 games played. The guard also has three games of 20-plus points this season, with her most recent one being on Jan. 5 against Bradley where she scored 20.
Junior guard Quierra Love continues to thrive as the team's leading playmaker, ranking fourth in the Valley in assists-per-game at 4.3. Love's 2.3 Assist/Turnover ratio ranks second in the conference and 33rd in the Valley. The junior is also third in the MVC in steals-per-game at 2.3.
Shemera Williams has made an immediate impact in her first six games as a Saluki, averaging 13.2 points-per-game. In five of her six games, Williams has scored over 10 points.
Laniah Randle and Promise Taylor have posted nearly identical numbers along the glass this season. Randle's 6.3 rebounds-per-game pace the Salukis, while Taylor's 6.2 ranks second on the team.
Taylor's 2.4 blocks-per-game lead both the team and the conference.

LOOKING AT MURRAY STATE

In their first year in the Valley, the Racers hold a record of 11-4 overall and 4-2 in conference play.
Murray State is currently in third place in the MVC, only trailing Illinois State and Northern Iowa.
The Racers are top five in the conference in both scoring offense and defense this season. They are averaging the fourth-most points-per-game at 67.8 and are allowing the second-fewest points-per-game at 58.6.
Murray State has been sharp at the line, leading the Valley in free throw shooting at 79%, which also ranks sixth in the nation.
Katelyn Young leads both the Valley and Racers in points-per-game at 21.1. Young is 13th in the country in scoring.
At 56%, Young is 27th in the NCAA in field-goal percentage and second in the MVC. At the line, the Valley's leading scorer is shooting 89%, the second-best free throw percentage in the conference and 25th best in the country.
The Salukis are 10-1 all-time against the Racers, and are currently on a five-game winning streak against Murray State dating back to 2012.

LOOKING AT BELMONT

The Bruins are 7-10 overall so far this season, and are 3-3 in the MVC.
In their first season in the conference, the Bruins are seventh in the Valley, one spot ahead of Southern Illinois.
Belmont enters the weekend on a two-game losing streak, falling to Murray State and Illinois State in its last two contests.
The Bruins are averaging 66.1 points-per-game, which ranks eighth in the conference.
Defensively, Belmont is allowing 69.4 points-per-game, which is the seventh-best tally in the MVC.
The Bruins have shot the ball well from deep so far this season, posting a three-point percentage at 34%, which is third in the Valley. Belmont also is second in three-pointers made, averaging 8.1 per game.
Belmont's leading scorer is Destinee Wells, who is averaging 16.1 points-per-game. Wells is fourth in the conference in scoring.
This will be the first-ever meeting between the two programs.

FOLLOW THE SALUKIS

Keep up with all the latest news and information on the Salukis by following the team on Twitter at @SIU_WBasketball, on Instagram at @SIU_WBasketball, and on Facebook at Facebook.com/SalukiAthletics. Fans can also download the "Salukis" Mobile App on the App Store or Google Play Store.

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Players Mentioned

Ashley Jones

Quierra Love

Laniah Randle

Promise Taylor

Shemera Williams

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