News | This Week in Saluki Athletics: March 10-16
03/10/2025 | 3:26:00 | General
CARBONDALE, Ill. – Spring Break is here at Southern Illinois, but that does not mean that athletics slow down, as this week promises to be another packed week for all active teams.
Men's Basketball (14-19, 8-12)
The 2025 men's basketball season came to an end this past week at the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament. But first, a couple of Salukis earned postseason honors.
Kennard Davis Jr. was first named to the MVC Most Improved Team. During the 2024-25 season Davis averaged 16.3 points-per-game, which ranked fourth in the conference, and is a 12.1 increase from his points-per-game mark a season ago. Davis also ranked highly in the MVC for total rebounds (148), assists (77), and steals (38). He led SIU in three-point percentage (36.9%), minutes-per-game (33.9), and free throw percentage (76.3%).
Davis was also named to the All-MVC Second Team. Meanwhile Ali Dibba was named All-MVC Third Team. Dibba's 16.9 points-per-game led SIU and was third in the MVC. His 201 total field goals ranked 31st in the nation, and his 47 steals was third most in The Valley.
SIU then opened the MVC Tournament with a nail-biting win over No. 9 Indiana State, 86-85, on Thursday. Davion Sykes was the hero of the game for the Salukis, scoring the game-winning basket with roughly four seconds left on the clock. Dibba led all scorers with 30 points and added nine rebounds as well. Davis dropped 22 points, and Drew Steffe and Jarrett Hensley both had 10 points.
Southern's tournament run ended in the quarterfinals with a 70-53 loss to No. 1 Drake. Dibba was SIU's leading scorer again with 19. Steffe added 11, and Davis was the only other Saluki in double-digit scoring. Sykes dished out four assists during the game.
At the conclusion of their 2025 season, men's basketball sits with an overall record of 14-19 while going 8-12 in MVC play.
Women's Basketball (4-25, 2-18)
The regular season wrapped up this week for women's basketball, and they ended it with a pair of losses to Bradley and Illinois State.
On Thursday, Bradley defeated SIU 59-51. Isabella Palmqvist scored 13 points to lead the Salukis in scoring, but Gift Uchenna was just one point behind her while also grabbing 10 rebounds for a double-double.
The regular season finale was on Saturday, a 99-86 loss to Illinois State on Senior Day. Tyranny Brown, Jeniah Thompson, and Se'Quoia Allmond were honored at the game as SIU's trio of seniors. In the actual game, Kayla Cooper dropped a team-high 23 points, and four other Salukis joined her in scoring double-digits. Uchenna posted another double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Meanwhile, Tkiyah Nelson came close to a double-double of her own with 17 points and nine assists.
It is now playoff time for women's basketball. On Thursday, March 13, the team will travel to Evansville, Indiana, for the Credit Union 1 MVC Tournament. Their first matchup will be rematch with No. 5 Illinois State, which is slated for a 2:30 p.m. tipoff.
Track and Field
On Monday, track and field concluded their trip to the 2025 MVC Indoor Championship in Chicago. The men's squad ended up in fifth place with a team score of 65.5 points while the women's team came in eighth with 36 points.
Andre Jackson II was the only Saluki to bring home a gold medal, doing so in the 400-meter dash.
Meanwhile, four silver medals were won by SIU participants. Nakyrah Cooks was the runner-up in the long jump after her leap of 5.72 meters. Darrione Williams won silver in the men's long jump, and he also grabbed second-place in the triple jump. The final silver medalist for Southern was the women's 4x400 relay team. That team was comprised of Trinity Cleaver, Teanna Bell, Vashti Grey, and Leah Thames.
Thames was also one of SIU's bronze winners, doing so in the 200 meter. She also won bronze in the 400 meter. Finally, the men's 4x400 relay team, which included Williams, Jackson, Xavier Preston, and James Gaiters, took home third-place.
Next up for track and field is the start of outdoor season. The first outdoor meet will be on March 22 at the Ole Miss Classic.
Softball (8-14, 0-0)
Softball concluded their non-conference tournament schedule this past weekend when they hosted the Saluki Invitational. The Salukis went 3-1 at the tournament against Wisconsin and Northern Illinois.
The lone loss of the weekend came on Saturday in a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Wisconsin. Addi Baker scored SIU's only run thanks to a solo home run, but Emma Austin went a perfect 4-4 at the plate. Erin Lee joined Austin in having a multi-hit game when she grabbed two hits in three at-bats, and McKenzie Newcomb was solid in the circle, allowing no earned runs in 4.1 innings of work.
Southern rebounded later on Saturday by run-ruling Northern Illinois 8-0 in five innings. Lee drove a pair of runs in thanks to a double, and six other Salukis had RBIs as well. Freshmen Emma Gipson and Kaytee Dahlstrom combined for the shutout while allowing just two hits.
Sunday started with a 7-3 win over Wisconsin. Baker hit another home run to total three RBIs, and Austin, Lee, Jackie Lis, and Mikaela Coburn drove runs in too. Newcomb was once again excellent for SIU, allowing just one run across 5.2 innings.
The Invitational concluded Sunday night with a 4-1 win against Northern Illinois. Lis was the story of the game, hitting her 40th career home run, meaning she is now the all-time leader for career home runs by a SIU softball player. Anna Carder and Sage Grann plated runs as well, and Dahlstrom three 4.0 innings of shutout ball to earn the win.
Conference play starts this week for Southern. On Friday, March 14, Illinois State visits Charlotte West Stadium for a 5 p.m. game. SIU and their in-state rival will face off again on Saturday, March 15, and Sunday, March 16, at 2 p.m. and 12 p.m., respectively.
Men's Golf
Men's golf spent the weekend in Arizona for the Desert Mountain Collegiate, hosted by Michigan. As a team, SIU tied for 13th with a score of 891 (+27).
Anthony De Schutter was Southern's top finisher, tying for 13th-place with a score of 215 (-1). Oliver Ulrich snuck into the top-20 as well, posting a score of 217 (+1).
The squad now has some time off before traveling to the Duck Invitational on March 24.
Baseball (11-3, 0-0)
Baseball's win streak reach 10 straight this weekend after a three-game sweep of Bellarmine.
The series opened on Friday with a 17-7 SIU run-rule win. Four different Salukis hit home runs, with Matt Schark being one of them; Schark totaled four RBIs on the day. Five Salukis had two RBIs in the game.
On Saturday, Southern prevailed again, winning 13-3 in seven innings. Schark hit another home run to drive in another four runs, and Tim Simay hit two homers himself. Kristian Sprawling drove in three runs. On the mound, Alec Nigut pitched another gem, allowing no earned runs across five innings.
Sunday ended the series, and SIU won another high scoring affair, 14-10. Four more homers were hit by Saluki batters, and this time it was Mason Schwalbach who grabbed four RBIs. Simay added three RBIs, and Meade Johnson was solid on the mound, going 6.0 innings deep while allowing three runs.
This week, baseball travels to Western Kentucky on Tuesday, March 11, for a 4 p.m. game. The Salukis then return home for a weekend series against Morehead State. They will play on Friday, March 14, at 6 p.m., Saturday, March 15, at 2 p.m., and then on Sunday, March 16, at 1 p.m.
Swim and Dive
On Sunday, SIU swim and dive sent Aj Terry and Alex Santiago to Ohio State for a Last Chance Meet.
Santiago competed in the 100-yard freestyle, where he placed first in the prelims and finals with times of 42.23 and 42.54 respectively. As for Terry, he competed in the 50-yard freestyle and 100-yard freestyle. His best finish was in the 100-yard freestyle finals, where he grabbed third-place with a time of 1:13.16.
Next up for swim and dive is the NCAA Diving Zones, hosted in Columbus, Ohio, from Wednesday, March 12, until Friday, March 14.
Women's Golf
Women's golf started the week with a trip to the Huntsville.org Intercollegiate, hosted by Samford. As a team, SIU finished 11th out of the 12 teams competing. Kayla Sayyalinh was the top Saluki finisher, tying for 31st place with a score of 240 (+24).
Starting today, Monday, March 10, the team is in Litchfield Park, Arizona, for the Clover Cup, hosted by Notre Dame. The Cup will run through Wednesday, March 12.
Follow the Salukis
Keep up with all the latest news and information on the Salukis by following the team on X at @SIUSalukis, on Instagram at @siusalukis, and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SalukiAthletics/. Fans can also download the "Salukis" Mobile App on the App Store or Google Play Store.
Men's Basketball (14-19, 8-12)
The 2025 men's basketball season came to an end this past week at the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament. But first, a couple of Salukis earned postseason honors.
Kennard Davis Jr. was first named to the MVC Most Improved Team. During the 2024-25 season Davis averaged 16.3 points-per-game, which ranked fourth in the conference, and is a 12.1 increase from his points-per-game mark a season ago. Davis also ranked highly in the MVC for total rebounds (148), assists (77), and steals (38). He led SIU in three-point percentage (36.9%), minutes-per-game (33.9), and free throw percentage (76.3%).
Davis was also named to the All-MVC Second Team. Meanwhile Ali Dibba was named All-MVC Third Team. Dibba's 16.9 points-per-game led SIU and was third in the MVC. His 201 total field goals ranked 31st in the nation, and his 47 steals was third most in The Valley.
SIU then opened the MVC Tournament with a nail-biting win over No. 9 Indiana State, 86-85, on Thursday. Davion Sykes was the hero of the game for the Salukis, scoring the game-winning basket with roughly four seconds left on the clock. Dibba led all scorers with 30 points and added nine rebounds as well. Davis dropped 22 points, and Drew Steffe and Jarrett Hensley both had 10 points.
Southern's tournament run ended in the quarterfinals with a 70-53 loss to No. 1 Drake. Dibba was SIU's leading scorer again with 19. Steffe added 11, and Davis was the only other Saluki in double-digit scoring. Sykes dished out four assists during the game.
At the conclusion of their 2025 season, men's basketball sits with an overall record of 14-19 while going 8-12 in MVC play.
Women's Basketball (4-25, 2-18)
The regular season wrapped up this week for women's basketball, and they ended it with a pair of losses to Bradley and Illinois State.
On Thursday, Bradley defeated SIU 59-51. Isabella Palmqvist scored 13 points to lead the Salukis in scoring, but Gift Uchenna was just one point behind her while also grabbing 10 rebounds for a double-double.
The regular season finale was on Saturday, a 99-86 loss to Illinois State on Senior Day. Tyranny Brown, Jeniah Thompson, and Se'Quoia Allmond were honored at the game as SIU's trio of seniors. In the actual game, Kayla Cooper dropped a team-high 23 points, and four other Salukis joined her in scoring double-digits. Uchenna posted another double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Meanwhile, Tkiyah Nelson came close to a double-double of her own with 17 points and nine assists.
It is now playoff time for women's basketball. On Thursday, March 13, the team will travel to Evansville, Indiana, for the Credit Union 1 MVC Tournament. Their first matchup will be rematch with No. 5 Illinois State, which is slated for a 2:30 p.m. tipoff.
Track and Field
On Monday, track and field concluded their trip to the 2025 MVC Indoor Championship in Chicago. The men's squad ended up in fifth place with a team score of 65.5 points while the women's team came in eighth with 36 points.
Andre Jackson II was the only Saluki to bring home a gold medal, doing so in the 400-meter dash.
Meanwhile, four silver medals were won by SIU participants. Nakyrah Cooks was the runner-up in the long jump after her leap of 5.72 meters. Darrione Williams won silver in the men's long jump, and he also grabbed second-place in the triple jump. The final silver medalist for Southern was the women's 4x400 relay team. That team was comprised of Trinity Cleaver, Teanna Bell, Vashti Grey, and Leah Thames.
Thames was also one of SIU's bronze winners, doing so in the 200 meter. She also won bronze in the 400 meter. Finally, the men's 4x400 relay team, which included Williams, Jackson, Xavier Preston, and James Gaiters, took home third-place.
Next up for track and field is the start of outdoor season. The first outdoor meet will be on March 22 at the Ole Miss Classic.
Softball (8-14, 0-0)
Softball concluded their non-conference tournament schedule this past weekend when they hosted the Saluki Invitational. The Salukis went 3-1 at the tournament against Wisconsin and Northern Illinois.
The lone loss of the weekend came on Saturday in a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Wisconsin. Addi Baker scored SIU's only run thanks to a solo home run, but Emma Austin went a perfect 4-4 at the plate. Erin Lee joined Austin in having a multi-hit game when she grabbed two hits in three at-bats, and McKenzie Newcomb was solid in the circle, allowing no earned runs in 4.1 innings of work.
Southern rebounded later on Saturday by run-ruling Northern Illinois 8-0 in five innings. Lee drove a pair of runs in thanks to a double, and six other Salukis had RBIs as well. Freshmen Emma Gipson and Kaytee Dahlstrom combined for the shutout while allowing just two hits.
Sunday started with a 7-3 win over Wisconsin. Baker hit another home run to total three RBIs, and Austin, Lee, Jackie Lis, and Mikaela Coburn drove runs in too. Newcomb was once again excellent for SIU, allowing just one run across 5.2 innings.
The Invitational concluded Sunday night with a 4-1 win against Northern Illinois. Lis was the story of the game, hitting her 40th career home run, meaning she is now the all-time leader for career home runs by a SIU softball player. Anna Carder and Sage Grann plated runs as well, and Dahlstrom three 4.0 innings of shutout ball to earn the win.
Conference play starts this week for Southern. On Friday, March 14, Illinois State visits Charlotte West Stadium for a 5 p.m. game. SIU and their in-state rival will face off again on Saturday, March 15, and Sunday, March 16, at 2 p.m. and 12 p.m., respectively.
Men's Golf
Men's golf spent the weekend in Arizona for the Desert Mountain Collegiate, hosted by Michigan. As a team, SIU tied for 13th with a score of 891 (+27).
Anthony De Schutter was Southern's top finisher, tying for 13th-place with a score of 215 (-1). Oliver Ulrich snuck into the top-20 as well, posting a score of 217 (+1).
The squad now has some time off before traveling to the Duck Invitational on March 24.
Baseball (11-3, 0-0)
Baseball's win streak reach 10 straight this weekend after a three-game sweep of Bellarmine.
The series opened on Friday with a 17-7 SIU run-rule win. Four different Salukis hit home runs, with Matt Schark being one of them; Schark totaled four RBIs on the day. Five Salukis had two RBIs in the game.
On Saturday, Southern prevailed again, winning 13-3 in seven innings. Schark hit another home run to drive in another four runs, and Tim Simay hit two homers himself. Kristian Sprawling drove in three runs. On the mound, Alec Nigut pitched another gem, allowing no earned runs across five innings.
Sunday ended the series, and SIU won another high scoring affair, 14-10. Four more homers were hit by Saluki batters, and this time it was Mason Schwalbach who grabbed four RBIs. Simay added three RBIs, and Meade Johnson was solid on the mound, going 6.0 innings deep while allowing three runs.
This week, baseball travels to Western Kentucky on Tuesday, March 11, for a 4 p.m. game. The Salukis then return home for a weekend series against Morehead State. They will play on Friday, March 14, at 6 p.m., Saturday, March 15, at 2 p.m., and then on Sunday, March 16, at 1 p.m.
Swim and Dive
On Sunday, SIU swim and dive sent Aj Terry and Alex Santiago to Ohio State for a Last Chance Meet.
Santiago competed in the 100-yard freestyle, where he placed first in the prelims and finals with times of 42.23 and 42.54 respectively. As for Terry, he competed in the 50-yard freestyle and 100-yard freestyle. His best finish was in the 100-yard freestyle finals, where he grabbed third-place with a time of 1:13.16.
Next up for swim and dive is the NCAA Diving Zones, hosted in Columbus, Ohio, from Wednesday, March 12, until Friday, March 14.
Women's Golf
Women's golf started the week with a trip to the Huntsville.org Intercollegiate, hosted by Samford. As a team, SIU finished 11th out of the 12 teams competing. Kayla Sayyalinh was the top Saluki finisher, tying for 31st place with a score of 240 (+24).
Starting today, Monday, March 10, the team is in Litchfield Park, Arizona, for the Clover Cup, hosted by Notre Dame. The Cup will run through Wednesday, March 12.
Follow the Salukis
Keep up with all the latest news and information on the Salukis by following the team on X at @SIUSalukis, on Instagram at @siusalukis, and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SalukiAthletics/. Fans can also download the "Salukis" Mobile App on the App Store or Google Play Store.
Players Mentioned
G
/ Women's Basketball
OF
/ Softball
1B/OF
/ Softball
Sprints
/ Track and Field
G
/ Women's Basketball
C
/ Softball
Sprints/Hurdles
/ Track and Field
OF
/ Softball
Jumps
/ Track and Field
G
/ Women's Basketball
P
/ Softball
G
/ Men's Basketball
/ Men's Golf
Sprints/Hurdles
/ Track and Field
P
/ Softball
INF/OF
/ Softball
Sprints/Jumps
/ Track and Field
F
/ Men's Basketball
Sprints
/ Track and Field
RHP
/ Baseball
INF
/ Softball
G
/ Women's Basketball
P
/ Softball
LHP
/ Baseball
F
/ Women's Basketball
Sprints
/ Track and Field
Freestyle
/ Swimming & Diving
/ Women's Golf
INF
/ Baseball
C/INF
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
Free/Fly
/ Swimming & Diving
Sprints
/ Track and Field
G
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
/ Men's Golf
Jumps
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