Preview | Women's Basketball Begins Four Game Road Trip on Thursday at Evansville

CARBONDALE, Ill. - The Southern Illinois University women's basketball team (7-15, 2-10 MVC) is looking to snap a five-game losing skid on Thursday at 6 p.m. when it visits Evansville in Indiana.

HOW TO WATCH/LISTEN

To watch SIU's game against the Purple Aces, tune into ESPN+ at 6 p.m. Casey Roehl (play-by-play) and Arthur Hurst (analyst) will have the call.
On the radio, Larry Larson will be doing the broadcasting duties on NewsRadio WJPF 107.9 FM.

QUICK HITS

The Salukis are set to begin a four-game road trip on Thursday at 6 p.m. at Evansville. This will be the longest road stretch of the season for Southern.
In its last game, SIU's losing streak was extended to five as the Salukis fell to Belmont, 65-55, on Sunday, Feb. 11. Southern Illinois forced 27 turnovers in the loss, marking the 13th time this season where SIU has forced at least 20 turnovers in a game.
Jaidynn Mason had a team-high 19 points to go along with five steals, two blocks, and six assists in Sunday's contest.
At the midway point in February, Southern Illinois sits in 10th place in the Valley.
The Salukis are eighth in the MVC in scoring offense (66.1) and fourth in scoring defense (68.1).
SIU is first in the conference and 18th in the nation in turnovers forced-per-game (20.86).
No team in the conference has allowed fewer three-pointers than SIU at 93. Missouri State is second with 114. Southern is also second in the Valley in opponent three-point percentage (.283).
The Salukis are first in the MVC and 35th in the country in turnover margin (4.32).
SIU leads the Valley and is seventh in the NCAA in steals-per-game (12.1). The Salukis have posted 10 or more steals in 16 games and have three players top five in the league in steals-per-game.

LEADING THE SALUKIS

Laniah Randle is top five in the MVC in both scoring (fourth, 17.6) and rebounding (second, 8.8). Randle is also tied for 11th in total blocks (17) and fourth in total steals (48). The junior has had 20 or more points in 10 games this season.
Randle is 76th in the NCAA in scoring, 61st in rebounding, and tied for 27th in offensive rebounds-per-game (3.7). The junior forward has eight double-doubles on the season, which is tied for 50th 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 10th in the MVC in scoring, averaging 13.6 points to go along with 3.1 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 2.9 steals-per-game, with the steals average leading the conference. Mason posted her 11th game with 10+ points on Sunday, and has three games with over 20 points on the year.
Quierra Love is tied for third in the MVC and is tied for 71st in the NCAA in steals-per-game (2.23). Love has posted two or more steals in 11 games, and has at least four steals in six games. The senior is now seventh all-time in career steals (183) at SIU, surpassing D.D. Plab with two steals on Feb. 9.
Love is tied for fourth in the Valley in assists-per-game (4.0), and is tied for sixth in assist/turnover ratio (1.7).
Adrianna Katcher has posted nine steals in her last two games and is averaging 2.4 steals-per-game over her last five appearances.
The Salukis' roster is made up of three seniors, five juniors, one sophomore, and three freshmen. SIU's three seniors are Love, Katcher, and Sydney Prochaska.

LOOKING AT EVANSVILLE

Evansville is 12th in the Valley, holding a conference record of 1-11 and overall record of 3-20.
The Purple Aces snapped a 13-game losing streak in their last game on Sunday, Feb. 11, defeating Valparaiso on the road, 71-68. Evansville out-scored Valpo, 19-14, in the fourth quarter to secure the win.
Nevaeh Thomas led the Aces with 23 points, 14 rebounds, and three blocks in the win.
Across the MVC, Evansville is 10th in scoring offense (63.9) and 12th in scoring defense (81.9).
Kynidi Mason Striverson leads Evansville and is 11th in the league in points-per-game (13.3).
Robyn Scherr-Wells is in her third year as the Aces' head coach and has a record of 22-61 during her time at the helm of the program.

SERIES HISTORY

SIU is 41-28 all-time against the Purple Aces and is on a 13-game winning streak in the series.
In their last meeting on Jan. 21, the Salukis defeated the Aces, 99-60. Five different Salukis scored in double-figures in the win, with Randle's 23 points and 10 rebounds leading the way.
Southern has not lost against Evansville since Feb. 17, 2017, when the Purple Aces defeated the Salukis, 74-61, in Carbondale.

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.

Calendar

Upcoming Events