Tuesday, November 25
Nashville, Tn.
3:30 p.m.
Southern Illinois University
1-3,0-0MVC
61
vs
75
Winthrop
4-3,0-0Big South
1
2
3
4
F
Winthrop
14
19
22
20
75
Southern Ill.
19
10
11
21
61
Photo by: Peter Borkowski
Salukis Fall to Winthrop on Day One of Coast 2 Coast Music City Classic
11/25/2025 | 6:50:00 | Women's Basketball
CARBONDALE, Ill. – Southern Illinois women's basketball (1-3, 0-0) kicked off their run at the Coast 2 Coast Music City Classic Tuesday afternoon with a match against Winthrop (4-3, 0-0). Despite leading after one quarter, SIU was not able to hold the Eagles back, eventually falling 75-61.
Inside the Box Score
How it Happened
First Quarter
After the Eagles struck first, an eight-point run by the Salukis gave SIU an early 8-2 lead. Winthrop eventually cut the lead to just three, 10-7, with under five minutes to play in the first. An and-one by Kraus bumped Southern's lead back up to six.
Winthrop would not back down however, closing the gap down to three points with under two minutes remaining. But a 9-4 run by Southern to close the opening frame set the score at 19-14 heading into the first break.
Second Quarter
It did not take Winthrop long to find an equalizer, scoring five points in the first minute to tie the game at 19 all. Buckets from Green and Kayla Cooper gave SIU a four-point lead, but Winthrop kept coming to tie the game at 25-25.
An Eagle threeball gave Winthrop their first lead of the game at the 3:41 mark, before another Eagle three made it a six-point game. The Salukis scored four of the final six points to pull within four, 33-29, as the halftime break hit.
Third Quarter
Five straight points out of the halftime break almost set Winthrop's lead at double-digits, but a pair of Tkiyah Nelson free-throw makes cut the deficit to seven. The Eagles would eventually find that double-digit lead, building a 12 points lead with 6:03 to play in the third.
An over two-minute scoring draught from SIU helped Winthrop build a 16-point advantage, 49-33 with 4:01 remaining. Back-to-back Thompson baskets decreased the lead, but Winthrop scored four straight to negate that Thompson run. As the clock in the third quarter hit zero, the Eagles held a 55-40 advantage for Southern.
Fourth Quarter
With SIU only able to muster up a pair of free-throw makes in the opening three-and-a-half minutes of the final quarter, the Eagles lead grew to 21. A nice run by SIU, capped by a Kraus three, made it 63-49, and Kraus went on to score four of SIU's next six points to make it 68-55.
A pair of Winthrop threes along with a free-throw make set the score at 75-59, but a Kelowna Ngoyi bucket as time expired would put the final score at 75-61 in favor of the Eagles.
Up Next
The Salukis conclude their stay in Nashville, Tennessee, tomorrow with a 5:45 p.m. game against Arkansas.
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.
Inside the Box Score
- Alayna Kraus and Jeniah Thompson tied for the team-lead in points with 13 each.
- Indya Green was two points and two rebounds off from securing a double-double.
How it Happened
First Quarter
After the Eagles struck first, an eight-point run by the Salukis gave SIU an early 8-2 lead. Winthrop eventually cut the lead to just three, 10-7, with under five minutes to play in the first. An and-one by Kraus bumped Southern's lead back up to six.
Winthrop would not back down however, closing the gap down to three points with under two minutes remaining. But a 9-4 run by Southern to close the opening frame set the score at 19-14 heading into the first break.
Second Quarter
It did not take Winthrop long to find an equalizer, scoring five points in the first minute to tie the game at 19 all. Buckets from Green and Kayla Cooper gave SIU a four-point lead, but Winthrop kept coming to tie the game at 25-25.
An Eagle threeball gave Winthrop their first lead of the game at the 3:41 mark, before another Eagle three made it a six-point game. The Salukis scored four of the final six points to pull within four, 33-29, as the halftime break hit.
Third Quarter
Five straight points out of the halftime break almost set Winthrop's lead at double-digits, but a pair of Tkiyah Nelson free-throw makes cut the deficit to seven. The Eagles would eventually find that double-digit lead, building a 12 points lead with 6:03 to play in the third.
An over two-minute scoring draught from SIU helped Winthrop build a 16-point advantage, 49-33 with 4:01 remaining. Back-to-back Thompson baskets decreased the lead, but Winthrop scored four straight to negate that Thompson run. As the clock in the third quarter hit zero, the Eagles held a 55-40 advantage for Southern.
Fourth Quarter
With SIU only able to muster up a pair of free-throw makes in the opening three-and-a-half minutes of the final quarter, the Eagles lead grew to 21. A nice run by SIU, capped by a Kraus three, made it 63-49, and Kraus went on to score four of SIU's next six points to make it 68-55.
A pair of Winthrop threes along with a free-throw make set the score at 75-59, but a Kelowna Ngoyi bucket as time expired would put the final score at 75-61 in favor of the Eagles.
Up Next
The Salukis conclude their stay in Nashville, Tennessee, tomorrow with a 5:45 p.m. game against Arkansas.
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.
Team Stats
Win
SIU
FG%
.468
.415
3FG%
.421
.133
FT%
.697
.789
RB
33
29
TO
19
20
STL
8
5
Game Leaders
Pts
13
FGM
5
3FGM
1
FTM
2
Pts
13
FGM
5
3FGM
0
FTM
3
Pts
9
FGM
3
3FGM
1
FTM
2
Pts
8
FGM
3
3FGM
0
FTM
2
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's BasketballF
/ Women's BasketballG
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
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