Banterra Center | Southern Illinois University Athletics
Banterra Center | Southern Illinois University Athletics
The Southern Illinois University women's basketball team faced a challenging match against Murray State on Thursday night, resulting in a 93-69 loss. The Salukis, now with an overall record of 2-9 and 0-2 in conference play, struggled to contain Murray State's offense.
Head coach Kelly Bond-White commented on the team's efforts: "We knew it would be difficult, we had a couple different schemes to try to slow them down. We finally started doing it in the second quarter and it worked a little bit, but they got it revved back up in the third."
Murray State demonstrated their shooting prowess by making 13 three-pointers at a rate of 37% and shooting 51% from the field. In contrast, SIU shot 42% from the field and managed a 36% success rate from beyond the arc. Kayla Cooper led SIU with 19 points and four steals, while Gift Uchenna recorded her fourth consecutive double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds.
The game began with SIU holding a narrow lead at the first media timeout after Jeniah Thompson's three-pointer put them ahead. However, Murray State quickly took control with an 18-9 run to end the first quarter leading by eight points.
In the second quarter, Murray State maintained their offensive momentum by scoring efficiently despite going only two-for-eight from three-point range. Meanwhile, SIU struggled for consistency from the field.
By halftime, Murray State had extended their lead to twelve points at 46-34. The Racers' most dominant performance came in the third quarter when they outscored Southern Illinois by twelve points while shooting an impressive 69% from the field.
Both teams rotated players during the final quarter as SIU achieved its best shooting percentage of fifty percent for that period; however both teams scored equally which left Murray state winning comfortably at ninety-three sixty-nine overall scoreline
Cooper’s nineteen-point contribution marked her career-high achievement while Uchenna's double-double placed her among top twenty NCAA rankings this season.
Southern Illinois will look forward hosting Belmont next Saturday afternoon aiming improve upon current standings within Missouri Valley Conference
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