Carbondale Reporter

The Southern Illinois University (SIU) women's basketball team faced a challenging game against Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) on Sunday, resulting in a 71-59 defeat. The Salukis struggled to maintain an offensive rhythm throughout the match.

Gift Uchenna stood out for SIU, scoring 17 points and securing 17 rebounds. Kayla Cooper was another key player, contributing 12 points. In the first quarter, SIUE took an early lead by outscoring the Salukis 23-18. During this period, SIUE achieved shooting percentages of 56.3% from the field and 57.1% from three-point range.

In the second quarter, both teams scored 14 points each, leading to a halftime score of 37-32 in favor of SIUE. At halftime, SIU had shooting percentages of 29.7% from the field and 40.0% from beyond the arc.

The third quarter saw SIUE extend their lead slightly by outscoring SIU 19-17, resulting in a score of 56-49 going into the final quarter. In the fourth quarter, SIUE maintained control with a score of 15-10 over SIU.

By the end of the game, SIU recorded shooting percentages of 30.8% from the field and 36.8% from three-point range but fell short in turnovers and rebounds compared to their opponents.

Looking ahead, the Salukis will host UAB on December 22 at noon for their last home game of the year.

For updates on Southern Illinois University's women's basketball team, fans can follow them on Twitter and Instagram at @SIU_WBasketball or on Facebook at Facebook.com/SalukiAthletics. Additionally, fans can download the "Salukis" Mobile App available on both App Store and Google Play Store.