Carbondale Reporter

The Southern Illinois University (SIU) women's basketball team faced a challenging game against Northern Iowa on Friday, ending in an 84-59 defeat. The Salukis, with an overall record of 3-13 and a conference record of 1-6, struggled particularly in the second half.

At halftime, SIU was trailing by six points with a score of 37-31. However, Northern Iowa widened the gap by outscoring Southern Illinois 22-13 in the third quarter and 25-15 in the fourth quarter.

"Overall, I didn't like our poise in the third quarter," head coach Kelly Bond-White commented. "We just have to find a way to find the open players a little bit better and then execute on offense."

The Salukis managed a shooting percentage of 30% from the field and 21% from beyond the arc. They performed better at the free throw line with a 79% success rate. In terms of rebounds, UNI led with 44 compared to SIU's 40 and scored significantly more points in the paint.

Gift Uchenna stood out for SIU with her performance, scoring 17 points and grabbing 13 rebounds, marking her eleventh double-double this season.

Northern Iowa dominated early on, securing a strong lead by outscoring SIU 26-14 in the first quarter. Their shooting accuracy was notable with a field-goal percentage of 56.3% and three-point percentage of 42.9%. Additionally, they were perfect from the free throw line during this period.

Southern Illinois showed resilience in the second quarter by outscoring Northern Iowa 17-11 while holding them to lower shooting percentages. Uchenna contributed significantly during this time but did not add to her score after halftime.

In subsequent quarters, Northern Iowa regained control. They limited SIU's effectiveness from both inside and outside the arc while continuing their efficient scoring.

Isabella Palmqvist added to SIU's efforts by scoring two three-pointers late in the game, concluding with ten points alongside Kayla Cooper's contribution from deep.

Following this loss, Southern Illinois will remain at home for their next game against Drake scheduled for Sunday at Banterra Center.