This Week in Saluki Athletics: February 16-22

02/16/2026 | 3:32:00 | General

By: Peter Borkowski

CARBONDALE, Ill. – Last week was a full week of Saluki Athletics. Not only were both basketball squads in action at home, but softball continued their young season, men's golf completed their first spring competition, baseball began their year and the track and field season continued.

Men's Basketball (12-15, 6-10)
The men's basketball team picked up a key pair of conference wins last week, but also dropped a contest.

On Monday, the team visited and defeated Indiana State 80-65. Five Salukis scored in the double-digits, with Quel'Ron House and his 14 points leading the way. Meanwhile, Rolyns Aligbe had a double-double with 13 points and 16 boards.

SIU then returned home on Thursday and defeated Evansville 86-60. Five Salukis scored 10+ once again, with Aligbe and his 18 points leading the charge. Both House and Drew Steffe acted as distributors, dishing out four assists each.

Southern ended the week with a 70-60 loss to Bradley on Sunday. House dropped 26 points and was joined by Davion Sykes in double-digits.

This week, the Salukis visit Iowa. On Wednesday, Feb. 18, they play at Drake at 6:30 p.m. They then visit UNI on Saturday, Feb. 21, at 5 p.m.

Women's Basketball (9-14, 6-8)
Women's basketball split their two games this week.

On Friday, they picked up a dominant 86-60 win over Illinois State. Alayna Kraus was the story of the game, scoring a career-high 30 points. Kayla Cooper scored 17 points, 15 of which came from beyond the arc, and Jeniah Thompson potted 13 points.

Southern then fell to Bradley on Sunday, 56-53. Kraus again led the Salukis in points with 18, while Indya Green collected a 16-point, 13-rebound double-double.

This week begins on Thursday, Feb. 19, for Southern as they host UNI at 6 p.m. The team then visits Indiana State on Saturday, Feb. 21, at 2 p.m. CST.

Softball (7-3, 0-0)
Softball spent the week in Mexico for the Puerto Vallarta Challenge, where they went 2-3.

The Challenge started on Wednesday with SIU dominating Eastern Kentucky, 22-7. Emily Williams hit a pair of homers on her way to seven RBIs, while Sydney Potter launched one out of the park as she collected six RBIs. Four other Salukis had multi-RBI games as well.

SIU then fell to UTSA later that day, 3-1. Maleah Blomenkamp drove in SIU's lone run as only three Salukis registered a hit.

The Salukis fell to Long Beach State to kick Thursday's slates off. SIU's one RBI came courtesy of Sage Grann while Hailey Lucas pitched a strong five innings with just two earned runs allowed.

Later on Thursday, SIU found redemption against UTSA with a thrilling 10-9, extra-innings win over UTSA. Williams gabbed a pair of hits for three RBIs, but Blomenkamp was the hero for Southern thanks to her walkoff hit.

The Challenge ended Friday night as the Salukis fell 5-2 to Long Beach State. Both runs came from Potter and her two home runs. Emily Delgado put up a good performance in the circle, allowing just one run in four innings.

Softball is back in on the tournament circuit this weekend as they travel to the UAB Green and Gold Classic. On Friday, Feb. 20, they play Mercer at 9 a.m. and then Missouri State at 11:30 a.m. Then, on Saturday, Feb. 21, the Salukis take on Ole Miss at 9 a.m. before playing the host UAB at 2 p.m. The Classic ends on Sunday, Feb. 22, with an 11:30 a.m. game against Tennessee.

Men's Golf
Men's golf concluded their first spring competition this past week, finishing top-three at the Palmas del Mar Collegiate invitational. Jaeseung Na was the top finisher for Southern, tying for third place with a score of 209 (-7). Ben Keil and Blake Saffell both finished top-20 as well.

This week, the Salukis visit Mobile, Alabama, for the Hal Williams Collegiate, which starts on Monday, Feb. 16, and runs through Tuesday, Feb. 17.

Baseball (1-2, 0-0)
Baseball opened the 2026 season this past weekend with a three-game trip to Oral Roberts.

The Salukis won 4-2 in the opener on Friday. Three Salukis hit homers, including Kye Watson, Cecil Lofton, and Michael Mylott. On the mound, Andrew Evans picked up the win after five innings of two-run ball.

SIU lost the Saturday game, 1-0. Four different Salukis gathered hits, while Meade Johnson and Troy Shepard combined for nine innings of just two hits and one run.

Southern then fell in the rubber-match on Sunday, 6-2. Watson hit another home run, as he and Julio Guerrero collected RBIs.

Baseball spends this weekend in North Carolina. On Friday, Feb. 20, they visit North Carolina A&T at 1 p.m. They then face Queens (NC) on Saturday, Feb. 21, at 6 p.m. The Trip ends on Sunday, Feb. 22, with a 1 p.m. game against Appalachian State.

Track and Field
For their final meet before the Missouri Valley Conference Indoor Championships, the Salukis competed at the Heartland Invitational. SIU had silver-medal finishes in the 400-meter thanks to Leah Thames, and both the men's and women's the 4x400-meter relays.

SIU now prepares for the MVC Championships, which begin on March 1.

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.