Preview | Women's Basketball Looks to Defend Home Court on Sunday against Belmont

CARBONDALE, Ill. - The Southern Illinois University women's basketball team (7-14, 2-9 MVC) will be back at home on Sunday at 1 p.m. to host Belmont in the 'Black History Month' game.

GAME PROMOTION

The Salukis will celebrate 'Black History Month' on Sunday in their game against Belmont.
Prior to the game, a bounce house will be set-up in the Charles Helleny Pavilion.

HOW TO WATCH/LISTEN

Southern's game against Belmont will be on ESPN+ at 1 p.m. Dominic Hoscher (play-by-play), Mike Trude (analyst), and Taylor Lawrence (sideline reporter) will be on the call.
Larry Larson will be doing the broadcasting duties on NewsRadio WJPF 107.9 FM.

QUICK HITS

Southern Illinois will wrap up its three-game homestand on Sunday at 1 p.m. against Belmont in the 'Black History Month' game. SIU holds a record of 7-14 overall and 2-9 in conference play.
A slow start cost the Salukis in their last game on Friday against Murray State, where they lost, 81-74. Southern trailed 22-7 after the first quarter and were unable to climb out of this hole.
Laniah Randle was SIU's leading scorer with 20 points in the loss. Three other Salukis scored in double-figures, as Quierra Love had 17, Seairra Hughes had 16, and Jaidynn Mason had 14.
SIU is eighth in the Valley in scoring offense (66.6) and fourth in scoring defense (68.2).
The Salukis are first in the MVC and 26th in the nation in turnovers forced-per-game (20.57). Southern has forced at least 20 turnovers in 12 games this season.
No team in the conference has allowed fewer three-pointers than SIU at 85. Missouri State is second with 103. Southern is also tied with Belmont for first in the Valley in opponent three-point percentage (.281).
The Salukis are first in the MVC and 39th in the country in turnover margin (4.05).
SIU leads the Valley and is ninth in the NCAA in steals-per-game (12.0).

LEADING THE SALUKIS

Laniah Randle is the only player in the Valley to be top three in both scoring (third, 17.9) and rebounding (second, 8.8). Randle is also 10th in total blocks (17) and tied for second in total steals (47). The junior had her 10th 20-point game of the season in Friday's loss to Murray State. SIU is 5-5 in those games.
Randle is tied for 54th in the NCAA in scoring, 62nd in rebounding, and 25th in offensive rebounds-per-game (3.8). The junior forward has eight double-doubles on the season, which is tied for 48th 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 and 11th in the MVC in scoring, averaging 13.1 points to go along with 3.1 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 2.7 steals-per-game, with the steals average leading the conference. Mason posted her 10th game with 10+ points on Friday, and has three games with over 20 points on the year.
Quierra Love is tied for fourth in the MVC and is 99th in the NCAA in steals-per-game (2.10). Love has posted two or more steals in 10 games, and has at least four steals in five games. The senior is now seventh all-time in career steals (178) at SIU, surpassing D.D. Plab with two steals on Friday.
Love is tied for fourth in the Valley in assists-per-game (4.0), and is tied for ninth in assist/turnover ratio (1.6).
Seairra Hughes is tied for 13th in the MVC in blocks, with 15 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 heads into Carbondale with a record of 16-6 overall and 9-2 in MVC play. The Bruins are 10-1 at home and 5-4 on the road this season.
The Bruins had their four-game winning streak snapped on Friday at Missouri State, losing to the Lady Bears, 73-54. The 73 points are the most allowed by Belmont in a conference game in 2023-24.
Despite the loss, Belmont is still first in the Valley in scoring defense (60.9).
The Bruins are also first in the MVC in opponent field-goal percentage (.384).
Jailyn Banks leads Belmont in scoring, averaging 13.0 points-per-game.
Bart Brooks is in his seventh season as Belmont's head coach, and has a record of 162-52.

SERIES HISTORY

The Salukis are winless against Belmont, as the Bruins hold a 5-0 record against SIU all-time.
Belmont defeated Southern, 72-64, the last time the two teams met on Jan. 28.
Tessa Miller led the Bruins with 20 points in the win, while Randle had 17 for SIU.

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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