Preview | Women's Basketball Set for Road Trip to Missouri State on Sunday

CARBONDALE, Ill. - The Southern Illinois University women's basketball team (2-10 overall, 0-3 conference) will head out to Missouri State on Sunday to face the Lady Bears at 2 p.m.

HOW TO WATCH/LISTEN

Mike McClure (play-by-play) and Don West (analyst) will have the call on ESPN+ on Sunday.
Larry Larson will have the radio call on NewsRadio WJPF 107.9 FM.

QUICK HITS

The Salukis are 0-3 to begin conference play after falling at Valparaiso and then at home against Murray State and Belmont.
So far in league play, SIU is averaging 62.0 points-per-game and allowing 80.3.
The Salukis are 10th in the Missouri Valley Conference in scoring defense, allowing 73.0 points-per-game. Offensively, SIU is 12th, averaging 59.9 points-per-game.
Southern is fifth in the MVC in rebounding (36.8). In terms of offensive rebounding, SIU is first at 13.4, which also ranks 79th in the country.
SIU is sixth in the league in blocks-per-game (3.08). The Salukis had one block against Belmont, however, the first time this season they've had fewer than two blocks in a game.
Across the MVC, Southern is 12th in field-goal percentage (.359), 10th in three-point percentage (.295), and ninth in free throw percentage (.687).
SIU is 11th in the Valley with its 0-3 MVC record and 2-10 overall record. Southern is ahead of Indiana State, who is 2-12 overall.
Drake currently sits in first, at 3-0 in the MVC and 9-5 overall. The only other Valley team still undefeated in conference play is Northern Iowa, who is 3-0 in the Valley and 8-6 overall.

LEADING THE SALUKIS

Gift Uchenna is leading the team in points (15.3), rebounds (12.9), and blocks-per-game (1.9) through 12 games. Uchenna is 12th in the Valley in scoring, first in rebounding, and third in blocks, and remains the lone MVC player to be averaging a double-double. The junior is second in the nation in rebounding and is leading the country in offensive rebounds-per-game (5.9). Uchenna is also tied for 11th in the NCAA in double doubles with eight total and five in a row.
Kayla Cooper has scored in double figures in four of her last five games after having one such game in her first six games of the year. Cooper's 19 points against Murray State on Jan. 2 were a career-high, while her five steals on Dec. 29 at Valpo also represented a career-best mark. Cooper has had multiple steals in six games and ranks seventh in the league in steals-per-game (2.1).
Se'Quoia Allmond is third on the team in scoring, averaging 8.1 points-per-game. Allmond has started in four consecutive games for SIU after coming off the bench in her first five appearances. In those four starts, the senior is averaging 10.3 points, 2.5 assists, and 1.3 steals-per-game while also shooting 16-of-28 (57%) from the field.
Isabella Palmqvist has come off the bench in three straight games after starting the previous eight. In SIU's last game, the freshman went 1-of-2 from deep, her 15th three-pointer on the year. This is tied for a team-high with Cooper. Palmqvist has made a shot from deep in nine of 12 games.
Tkiyah Nelson had another steal against Belmont, her fourth straight game with a takeaway and 10th total. Nelson also scored 11 points in the game, the third time she has reached this career-best mark this season. The sophomore's 11 points are the most she has scored in six games.
Tyranny Brown's 6.0 points-per-game are the sixth most on the team, while her .789 free throw percentage is tied for a team-high. Brown has scored in double-figures in three games, but has been held to single digits in six straight games.
Jeniah Thompson played a season-high 25 minutes against Belmont. Thompson also had her most points (10), steals (three), and free throws made (four) as a Saluki in her last game.

LOOKING AT MISSOURI STATE

No team in the Missouri Valley has more total wins than the Lady Bears, as they are 10-4 overall and 2-1 in conference play. Heading into Sunday's tilt, Missouri State is third in the MVC.
Missouri State is fifth in the MVC in scoring offense (71.7) and third in scoring defense (65.2).
At home, the Lady Bears are a perfect 6-0 on the year and defeated both Belmont, 57-55, and Murray State, 85-78, in Springfield last week.
Lacy Stokes is averaging a team-high 13.5 points-per-game, but three other Lady Bears are averaging double figures: Kyran Daniels (11.1), Sarah Linthacum (10.6), and Kaemyn Bekemeier (10.2).

SERIES HISTORY

Southern Illinois is 31-63 against Missouri State, and Sunday's game will be the 95th meeting.
The Lady Bears have won five straight games against the Salukis, with SIU's last win over the Lady Bears being on Feb. 4, 2022.

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