Preview | Southern Illinois Travels to Nashville on Sunday for Matchup Against Belmont

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - After a close loss on Friday at Murray State, Southern Illinois University's women's basketball team (7-11, 2-6 MVC) will look to bounce-back on Sunday at 2 p.m. against Belmont.

HOW TO WATCH/LISTEN

To watch Southern's game at Belmont, tune into ESPN+ at 2 p.m., where Dr. Rich Tiner (play-by-play), Conley Chinn (analyst), and Landen Secrest (sideline reporter) will be doing the broadcasting duties.
Larry Larson will have the radio call on NewsRadio WJPF 107.9 FM.

QUICK HITS

Southern Illinois holds a record of 7-11 overall and 2-6 in Missouri Valley Conference play entering Sunday's game at Belmont.
In its last game, SIU fell at Murray State, 75-70. The Racers' 75 points are tied for a season-low for a team that entered the contest averaging around 91.0 points-per-game.
Jaidynn Mason led the Salukis with 20 points in the loss, while Laniah Randle posted her eighth double-double on the year (16 points and 11 rebounds).
SIU is eighth in scoring offense, averaging 67.2 points-per-game. On the other side, Southern ranks fourth in scoring defense, allowing an average of 67.7 points-per-game.
The Salukis lead the Valley and are 24th in the nation in turnovers forced-per-game (20.8).
The Salukis have allowed the fewest three-pointers in the league at 75. Missouri State, 95, is second on the list. SIU is also second in opponent three-point field goal percentage (.294) behind Belmont.
Southern Illinois is first in the MVC and 44th in the country in turnover margin (4.28).
SIU leads the Valley and is 12th in the NCAA in steals-per-game (12.0).

LEADING THE SALUKIS

Laniah Randle is third in the MVC in scoring (17.8), second in rebounding (8.9), ninth in field goal percentage (.498), tied for fourth in total blocks (17), and is fourth in total steals (40). Randle had her ninth 20-point game of the season last Sunday vs. Evansville. In those games, SIU is 5-4.
Randle is 60th in the NCAA in points, 61st in rebounds, and tied for 13th in offensive rebounds-per-game (4.1). The junior forward has recorded a double-double in three-straight games and has eight total on the season, which is tied for 33rd in the country.
In all of 2022-23, SIU had six total double-doubles. The Salukis have 10 as a team this season. Randle has provided eight of them, while Hughes has the other two.
Jaidynn Mason is second on the team in scoring, averaging 12.4 points to go along with 2.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 2.9 steals-per-game, with the steal average leading the conference. Mason posted her seventh game with 10+ points on Friday, scoring 20 on 10-of-16 shooting from the field. This was the sophomore's second 20-point game of the season, and first since the guard scored 26 vs. Saint Louis on Dec. 9.
Quierra Love is third in the MVC and is tied for 57th in the NCAA in steals-per-game (2.33). Love has posted two or more steals in nine games, and has at least four steals in five games. The senior is now eighth all-time in career steals (176) at SIU, and is one away from tying D.D. Plab for seventh in program history.
Love is tied for sixth in the Valley in assists-per-game (3.9), and is tied for eighth in assist/turnover ratio (1.6).
Seairra Hughes is tied for 12th in the MVC in blocks, with 14 on the year. Hughes has had multiple blocks in five games this season.
The Salukis' roster is made up of three seniors, five juniors, one sophomore, and three freshmen. SIU's three seniors are Love, Adrianna Katcher, and Sydney Prochaska.

LOOKING AT BELMONT

Belmont is in second place in the Valley, holding a conference record of 7-1 and overall record of 14-5. The Bruins have won two consecutive games at Northern Iowa and vs. Missouri State.
In its 66-55 victory over Missouri State on Friday, the Bruins held the Lady Bears to 35.1% shooting from the field and won the rebounding battle, 43-32.
Kendal Cheesman led the Bruins with an 18-point, 12-rebound effort in the victory.
Belmont leads the Valley in scoring defense, allowing an average of 60.4 points-per-game. Offensively, the Bruins are fifth in the MVC (69.2).
The Bruins have a pair of players averaging north of 12.0 points-per-game, with Tessa Miller averaging 12.5 and Jailyn Banks averaging 12.3. Cheesman is third on the team with 11.6.
Bart Brooks is Belmont's head coach, and is in his seventh season in the role.

SERIES HISTORY

The Salukis are 0-4 all-time vs. Belmont, with three of those meetings coming last season.
In their most recent matchup, the Bruins defeated SIU, 70-64, in the Valley tournament on March 10, 2023.

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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