Southern Illinois University
Loyola
Women's Basketball opens conference play Friday against Loyola
12/29/2016 | 10:48:00 | Women's Basketball
Salukis host the Ramblers at 6 p.m. inside SIU Arena.
| SIU Salukis (6-5) vs. the Loyola Ramblers (1-10) | |
| Dates | Dec. 30, 2016 |
| Times | 6 p.m. CST |
| Location | Carbondale, Ill. | SIU Arena |
| Game Notes | Southern Illinois |
| Game Notes | Loyola |
| Video | ESPN3 |
| Radio | Salukis All-Access |
| Live Stats | Sidearm Sports |
| Tickets | Buy Tickets |
| Media Guide | SIU Media Guide |
| Social Media | @SIU_WBasketball |
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- The Southern Illinois Salukis open Missouri Valley Conference play Friday night when they host the Loyola Ramblers. The Salukis have won three of their last four, a stretch that included their first three game winning streak of the season. The Ramblers return just three letterwinners from a year ago that accounted for just 4% of their scoring from a year ago and are under the direction of first-year head coach Kate Achter, who was an assistant coach at Xavier last season. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m.
All-Time in Conference Openers
The Salukis are 3-0 in conference openers under fourth-year head coach Cindy Stein. SIU had lost three-straight conference openers prior to Stein's arrival in 2013. Overall, the Salukis hold a .542% winning percentage (19-16) in conference openers since 1981-82, and have won three of the last four MVC openers played at the SIU Arena. Southern last opened the Valley season at the Arena in 2013, when the Salukis defeated the Bradley Braves in double overtime, 100-96.
All-Time Series
The Salukis and the Ramblers will meet for the 12th time in a rivalry that dates back to 1982. SIU has an opportunity to even the series with a win on Friday, as Loyola holds a 6-5 advantage after winning two out of three last season. The Salukis won the last meeting between the two programs, as Southern defeated Loyola, 73-64 in the MVC Tournament quarterfinals.
Last Meeting
Four scored in double figures as the Salukis advanced to the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament Semifinals for the first time since the 1996-97 season with a 73-64 win over the no. 5 seed Loyola Ramblers on March 12, 2016 in the iWireless Center.
Southern was led in scoring by Rishonda Napier, who finished with 20 points, six assists and four boards. Dyana Pierre notched her 52nd career double-double, scoring 13 points and grabbing a game-high 16 rebounds. Cartaesha Macklin narrowly missed a double-double of her own, tallying 18 points and nine rebounds, while Kylie Giebelhausen added 12 points on 5-of-7 shooting.
Current Salukis vs. the Ramblers
Kylie Giebelhausen comes into Friday's contest shooting 48.6% (17-of-35) from the floor in five career games against Loyola, including 41.7% (10-of-24) from downtown. The East Peoria, Ill. native also averages 9.8 points and 5.2 rebounds per game against the Ramblers while Rishonda Napier is averaging 11.6 points and 4.0 assists per game in six career meetings against Loyola.
Milestone Watch
Rishonda Napier is nearing several milestones. She's eight three-pointers away from breaking Teri Oliver's school record of 235 career three-pointers, set in 2011. Her 228 threes are the 11th-most among current DI players. She's also just 41 points shy of becoming the fifth Saluki to score 1,500 career points.
Napier Remains Perfect
Rishonda Napier made a pair of free throws against South Dakota on Dec. 20, and has now made 30-straight free throws to start the season. It's the most consecutive makes from the charity stripe in school history, and is tied with Karly Buer (Missouri State, 2011-12) and Catie O'Leary (Bradley, 2012-13) for 14th-most in Missouri Valley Conference history.
Threes in bunches
The Salukis made 10 three-pointers in their 69-61 win over Memphis, and followed with 11 three-pointers in their 77-69 win over UMKC. It marks just the third time since 1989, and the first since the 2003-04 season, that SIU has made 10-plus three-pointers in back-to-back games.
Winning Non-Conference Games
The Salukis finished 6-5 in non-conference play to start the 2016-17 season, insuring a record of .500 or better in non-conference play for the third-straight season. It marks the first time since the 1993-94, 1994-95 and 1995-96 seasons that the Salukis have posted three-straight .500 or better records in non-conference action.
Comeback Kids
SIU roared back to erase a 16-point third quarter deficit to defeat the UMKC Kangaroos, 77-69 on Dec. 19. It marked Southern's largest comeback victory since the 2002-03 season, when the Salukis came back from being down 18 points to defeat Tennessee Tech on Nov. 30, 2002.
Resilient Bunch
The 2016-17 Salukis are also the first team dating back to the 2002-03 season that has overcome two deficits of 15-points or more in the same season. SIU roared back from being down 15 to down the SEMO Redhawks on Dec. 9, and later came back from being down 16 points to stun the UMKC Kangaroos on their home floor.
Nebo, Napier earn All-Tournament honors at Roo Holiday Classic
Kim Nebo and Rishonda Napier earned All-Tournament honors at the Roo Holiday Classic after helping the Salukis to a split at the two-day event. Nebo averaged 11.5 points and 8.5 rebounds and notched the fifth double-double of her career against the Kangaroos, as she scored 14 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to go along with two assists, a block and a steal. Rishonda Napier averaged 16 points, 4.0 assists and 3.0 rebounds during the two-day tournament en route to earning All-Tourney honors, which included scoring 16 points in the second half of SIU's comeback win over UMKC on Dec. 19.
Giebelhausen from long distance
Kylie Giebelhausen currently leads the Salukis in scoring (13.3 pts/game), and has done so, in part, by shooting 43.9% from beyond the arc. She currently leads the Valley in three pointers made (29), three-pointers made per game (2.64) and three-point field goal percentage (43.9%).
All Ball
Giebelhausen also leads the MVC in blocks per game (1.27). She ranks fourth on SIU's all-time career blocks list with 91 and is one of only four Salukis to surpass 90 career blocks.
500 Field Goals and Counting
Rishonda Napier became the 12th Saluki to make 500 field goals in a career, and needs to make just three on Friday to pass Connie Price for 10th on SIU's all-time career list. Price-Smith, the current head track and field coach at Ole Miss, made 511 field goals during her SIU basketball career.
