Preview | Women's Basketball Set to Host Illinois State on Thursday for 'Blackout Cancer' Game

CARBONDALE, Ill. - After a four game road trip, the Southern Illinois University women's basketball team (8-18, 3-13 MVC) is back at home on Thursday at 6 p.m. to face Illinois State in the 'Blackout Cancer' game.

GAME PROMOTION

For Thursday's 'Blackout Cancer' game, players will wear specialized uniforms with the names of fans who donated on the back of their jerseys.
While supplies last, there will be $1 pizza slices being sold at the concession stand during the game.
Fans can also enjoy a bounce house in the Charles Helleny Pavilion that will be set-up one hour before tip-off.

HOW TO WATCH/LISTEN

To watch SIU host Illinois State, tune into ESPN+ at 6 p.m., where Dominic Hoscher (play-by-play), Mike Trude (analyst), and Amanda Pozniak (sideline reporter) will have the call.
On NewsRadio WJPF 107.9 FM, Larry Larson will be doing the broadcasting duties.

QUICK HITS

Southern Illinois returns home after a four game road trip with a record of 8-18 overall and 3-13 in conference play. At home, the Salukis are 5-9 this season.
In its last game on Sunday, SIU fell, 77-42, at Missouri State. The Salukis shot 27.7% from the field and 30.0% from deep.
Laniah Randle led the Salukis with 22 points in the loss. Randle was coming off the second MVC Player of the Week honor of her career entering last week.
SIU is in 10th place heading into the final four games of the regular season. Southern is one game back of Valparaiso in ninth.
Across the Valley, Southern Illinois is eighth in scoring offense (66.0) and sixth in scoring defense (69.7).
Southern Illinois is first in the conference and tied for 26th in the NCAA in turnovers forced-per-game (20.23).
No team in the conference has allowed fewer three-pointers than SIU at 120. Missouri State is second with 132. Southern is also fifth in the Valley in opponent three-point percentage (.302).
The Salukis are first in the MVC and 43rd in the country in turnover margin (3.85).
Southern Illinois leads the Valley and is 10th in the NCAA in steals-per-game (11.6). The Salukis have posted 10 or more steals in 17 games and have three players top five in the league in steals-per-game.

LEADING THE SALUKIS

Laniah Randle is the only player in the MVC to be top three in both scoring (second, 18.7) and rebounding (second, 8.5). Randle is also tied for 12th in total blocks (19) and is fourth in total steals (57). The junior has had 20 or more points in 13 games this season, and three games with over 30, which leads the Valley.
Randle is 42nd in the NCAA in scoring, tied for 74th in rebounding, and 30th in offensive rebounds-per-game (3.7). The junior forward has nine double-doubles on the season.
In all of 2022-23, SIU had six total double-doubles. The Salukis have 12 as a team this season. Randle has provided nine of them, while Hughes has the other three.
Jaidynn Mason is second on the team and ninth in the MVC in scoring, averaging 14.1 points to go along with 3.2 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 2.7 steals-per-game, with the steals average leading the conference. Mason posted her 13th game with 10+ points last Saturday, and has three games with over 20 points on the year.
Quierra Love is tied for third in the MVC and tied for 60th in the NCAA in steals-per-game (2.3). Love has posted two or more steals in 14 games, and has at least four steals in seven games. Love is now sixth in career steals (193) at SIU, passing Petra Jackson, who had 189 steals from 1983 to 1986.
Love is tied for seventh in the Valley in assists-per-game (3.9), and is tied for ninth in assist/turnover ratio (1.6).
Paige Clubb's 14 points at UNI are the most the junior has scored since she tallied a career-high 18 points against Evansville on Jan. 21. This was Clubb's third game in double-figures this season.

LOOKING AT ILLINOIS STATE

The Redbirds have won four-straight games for the second time this season, and carry a record of 18-8 overall and 11-5 in Valley play into Thursday's game.
Illinois State had a dominant, 78-50, win over Evansville in its last game on Sunday. The Redbirds were led by a third quarter explosion where they scored 31 points and allowed 10.
Heading into late-February, Illinois State sits in fourth place in the Valley and is one game back of Missouri State in third.
DeAnna Wilson leads ISU and is sixth in the MVC in scoring, averaging 15.9 points-per-game.
Kristen Gillespie holds a record of 129-78 as Illinois State's head coach, and is in her seventh season in the role.

SERIES HISTORY

SIU is 46-66 all-time vs. Illinois State and has lost each of the last four meetings.
The last time the two teams met was on Jan. 10, where the Redbirds won, 76-43, in Normal. Abbie Aalsma led all scorers with 16 points in the game.

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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