Southern Illinois University
16-9, 9-4MVC
Missouri State
17-9, 10-4MVC
Salukis pick up signature win over Lady Bears
02/19/2016 | 12:00:00 | Women's Basketball
By: Will Becque
SIUSalukis.com
CARBONDALE, Ill. - Rishonda Napier scored a season-high 23 points to lead the Southern Illinois women’s basketball team to a 69-61 win over Missouri State Friday night inside the SIU Arena. The victory over the Lady Bears is the first for Southern since Jan. 19, 2012.
With the win, SIU clinches back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since the 1994-95 & 1995-96 seasons and snaps a nine-game skid to Lady Bears.
“Its about time isn’t it?” quipped Stein. “When someone has had your number this long, it’s about time.”
Southern won behind the play of its returning All-MVC First Team guard Napier, who shot 9-of-20 from the field, including 3-of-6 from beyond the arc, to go along with six assists and three rebounds in 36 minutes.
“You can’t say enough about that kind of game,” said SIU head coach Cindy Stein. “[Napier] literally took the game over at a certain point and put us on her back.”
While Dyana Pierre returned to the court for the first time since Feb. 5 and tallied eight points, three blocks and a game-high 10 boards in 23 minutes off the bench, it was Napier who did most of the heavy lifting down the stretch, scoring 14 of her 23 points in the second half, including nine of SIU’s 18 fourth quarter points.
“Everyone contributed,” lamented Napier. “That’s what makes this win so special. It was the true definition of a team win. We all helped each other. We were all feeding off the positive energy that we were giving to our teammates. That really showed and it made everybody more confident and focused.”
The Salukis overcame a night where they turned the ball over 22 times, leading to 30 Lady Bear points. Southern’s ball movement was key, skipping the ball around Missouri State’s zone to find the open shot, notching 16 assists on 26 field goals and holding the Lady Bears to 35.4% (23-of-65) from the field, including just 3-of-13 (23.1%) from the three.
“Our defense stepped up,” said Stein. “I really liked our second half energy. I loved our determination. First half I felt like they were ripping the ball away from us all the time. I didn’t see that in the second half. I thought our kids really stepped up.”
Southern has now had its to two best shooting performances this season against the Lady Bears, shooting 26-of-54 (48.1%) from the field, including 8-of-16 (50%) from 3-point range on Friday. In SIU’s first meeting against Missouri State, the Salukis shot a season-best 50% (32-of-64) from the field.
“It was a good win for us,” said Napier. “Obviously, things didn’t go our way. [Missouri State] caused us to have a lot of turnovers and they were fighting so hard on the boards. [Missouri State] was just so scrappy. We could’ve got down on ourselves, we could’ve let that negate our energy and reverse everything we were doing but we stuck together and we stayed strong.”
The Salukis opened scoring with a three by Azia Washington. The Lady Bears countered with back-to-back baskets, before a Giebelhausen three gave SIU a 6-4 lead. The two sides continued to trade baskets, with a long two from Giebelhausen staking Southern to a 12-10 lead with 2:55 remaining in the first. The Lady Bears ripped off a 9-2 run over the next 2:35, before a Carlie Corrigan layup off a feed from Olivia Bowling got SIU to within three, 19-16 at the end of the first.
Missouri State again went on a run, scoring the first five points of the second to build its lead to 24-16. Southern ended the run with a Celina VanHyfte layup, and got to within four thanks to a layup by Kim Nebo. The Salukis held the Lady Bears without a field goal for a five minute stretch in the second, with Giebelhausen’s second 3-pointer getting SIU to within one (24-23).
Pierre staked Southern to its first lead of the second stanza, 25-24 with a pair of made free throws with just over two minutes to play. A Giebelhausen offensive board off a Napier miss gave the Burbank, Calif. native another crack at three, and she didn’t disappoint, draining her first 3-ball of the contest to put SIU ahead two. The Lady Bears knotted the score on a pair of free throws to send the two teams into the locker room tied 28-28.
It was Southern’s turn to open a quarter with a scoring run, beginning the third on a 9-2 spurt, highlighted by five points from Giebelhausen. The Salukis lead was at 37-30 before a Liza Fruendt layup cut SIU’s lead to five. Pierre’s second field goal, on a dish from Napier pushed Southern’s advantage back to seven (39-32). The lead was again seven after Napier’s second 3-pointer of the game put SIU ahead 44-37. Washington’s and-one with :15 seconds to play in the third gave the Salukis a 47-39 lead at the end of three.
The Lady Bears battled all the way back in the fourth, taking a brief one point lead on a Tyonna Snow layup with 4:53 remaining in regulation. Napier took over, scoring six of SIU’s next nine points to grow SIU’s lead back to six (65-59) with 1:32 remaining. From there, Giebelhausen and Macklin each sank a pair of free throws to clinch the win.
Southern is now in a three-way tie for second in the Missouri Valley Conference, and sits just one game out of first-place with five games remaining. The Salukis will look to make it four wins in a row Sunday when they host the Wichita State Shockers. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m.
