Preview | Salukis Head to SEMO for Monday Clash with Redhawks - Southern Illinois University Athletics

CARBONDALE, Ill. - The Southern Illinois University women's basketball team (1-3) is back in action on Monday when it travels to Southeast Missouri State to face the Redhawks at 6:30 p.m.

HOW TO WATCH/LISTEN

SIU's matchup against SEMO can be watched on ESPN+ at 6:30 p.m. on Monday.
Larry Larson will have the radio call on NewsRadio WJPF 107.9 FM.

QUICK HITS

Southern Illinois got its first win, 85-80, of the season on Nov. 16 at IU Indy to improve its record to 1-3. The Salukis shot 46% from the field, 3-of-17 from deep, and a strong 18-of-19 at the free throw line.
Gift Uchenna led the way for SIU, scoring 34 points with 17 rebounds, four steals, and two blocks. Uchenna's 34 points are tied for the sixth most in program history, while the 17 boards are the most by a Saluki since Abby Brockmeyer had 18 on Dec. 4, 2021, at Western Illinois.
SIU's 85 points are the most the team has had this season, and the most since scoring 89 at Evansville on Feb. 15, 2024.
Southern Illinois is ninth in the MVC in scoring defense, allowing 73.5 points-per-game.
SIU is tied for fifth in the league in blocks (13) and is eighth in steals (31).
The Salukis rank 11th in scoring offense, averaging 57.8 points-per-game.
In the MVC Preseason Poll, Southern was picked to finish 10th out of 12 teams. SIU received a total of 167 points in the poll. Drake was voted to finish first with 566 points and 39 first-place votes.
So far in non-conference play, SIU is in ninth place. Indiana State and Valpo are the other two Valley teams with one-win starts to the season. Bradley, Missouri State, and Northern Iowa are all 3-1, making up the top three.
Southern will go to battle with the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) again on Monday when it travels to SEMO. Last season, SIU went 2-0 against the OVC and is on a nine-game winning streak against teams from the conference dating back to the 2019-20 season. Southern Illinois is 12-1 vs. the OVC since 2019-20. The last OVC team to defeat SIU was SEMO on Dec. 7, 2019, in Cape Girardeau, Mo.
Kelly Bond-White is in her third season in Carbondale and has a record of 24-42. The lone new faces on the coaching staff are Greg Brown (assistant coach) and Peyton Thevenot (graduate assistant).

LEADING THE SALUKIS

Gift Uchenna's big performance against IU Indy led the junior being award MVC Newcomer of the Week honors. Uchenna is the first Saluki to receive the accolade since Ashley Jones earned the award on Jan. 30, 2023. The Ebonyi State, Nigeria, native is 10th in the MVC in scoring (15.5) and third in rebounding (10.3). Uchenna is one of three players in the conference averaging a double-double.
Isabella Palmqvist is averaging 9.7 points and 2.0 three-pointers made over her last three games. Palmqvist, who had played 30 minutes in each of the previous two games, played a season-high 40 minutes against the Jaguars.
Kayla Cooper, who missed the home opener vs. Eastern Kentucky due to illness, is tied for second on the team in scoring, averaging 8.3 points-per-game. Cooper's three-point percentage of .625 leads the team and leads the MVC. At IU Indy, however, the sophomore shot 0-of-1 from deep.
Tyranny Brown is tied for second on the team in scoring with Cooper, and has scored in double-figures in back-to-back games. Brown's .556 field-goal percentage at IU Indy was her highest mark of the season and the senior's best percentage since Dec. 6, 2023, vs. SIUE (.571, min. of five attempts).
Tkiyah Nelson has been active on both ends to begin the year, averaging 5.8 points to go along with 4.8 rebounds and 2.0 steals-per-game. Nelson and Uchenna are tied for seventh in the conference in steals.
Alice Curman has made three starts as Southern Illinois' point guard, averaging 4.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.3 steals-per-game. The freshman's 10 total assists are tied for seventh in the conference. Curman did not play at IU Indy due to injury.

LOOKING AT SEMO

The Redhawks are searching for their first win of the season after an 0-4 start through four games.
Southeast Missouri State fell, 89-61, at Eastern Kentucky in its last game on Nov. 17. SEMO has now allowed at least 70 points in all four games to begin the year.
Monday's game will be the second of four MVC matchups in 2024-25 for SEMO. The Redhawks lost, 70-55, at Evansville on Nov. 14, and will host Indiana State on Nov. 30 and Missouri State on Dec. 16.
Zoe Best leads the Redhawks in scoring, averaging 15.0 points-per-game.

SERIES HISTORY

SIU leads the all-time series, 33-7, as the two programs head towards their 41st meeting.
Last season, the Salukis defeated the Redhawks, 85-70, in Carbondale. SEMO's last win over Southern Illinois came on Dec. 7, 2019, in Cape Girardeau, Mo.

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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Preview | Salukis Head to SEMO for Monday Clash with Redhawks

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Players Mentioned

Tyranny Brown

Kayla Cooper

Alice Curman

Tkiyah Nelson

Isabella Palmqvist

Gift Uchenna

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