Carbondale Reporter

On Friday, the Southern Illinois University women's basketball team secured a 72-69 victory over Evansville. The win brought their overall record to 4-16 and their conference record to 2-9.

"I'm just happy for our kids, I'm happy for our coaching staff that remains resilient, that just keeps grinding, and that does it with a little joy," said head coach Kelly Bond-White. "They're not letting the weight of the season get within them. They just come back and they keep fighting."

SIU's shooting performance included 39% from the field, 33% from three-point range, and 70% at the free throw line. They held Evansville to 37% field-goal shooting and a mere 15% from beyond the arc. The Salukis out-rebounded Evansville with a margin of four rebounds, totaling 42 against Evansville's 38. Both teams committed 17 turnovers during the game.

Gift Uchenna was a standout performer with a double-double consisting of 20 points and an impressive 19 rebounds, alongside two steals and four blocks. Isabella Palmqvist contributed with 14 points while Alice Curman added another ten points.

The first quarter saw both teams struggling offensively, each scoring only twelve points with field-goal percentages below thirty percent. Neither team managed to score from three-point range in this period.

Southern Illinois improved their play in the second quarter by scoring twenty-one points on fifty percent shooting from the field, making two out of three attempts from three-point range, and achieving an eighty-eight percent success rate at free throws. Palmqvist led her team in this quarter with nine points.

In the third quarter, SIU continued their momentum by outscoring Evansville twenty-four to seventeen. Their successful free throw strategy in the first half transitioned into effective three-point shooting in this period as Curman, Uchenna, Palmqvist, and Kayla Cooper each made shots from beyond the arc.

Evansville had their strongest performance in the fourth quarter with twenty-eight points compared to SIU's fifteen but could not overcome Southern Illinois' lead.

The Salukis are scheduled to remain at home for an upcoming game against Indiana State on Sunday at noon.

Fans can follow updates on social media platforms such as Twitter @SIU_WBasketball or Instagram @SIU_WBasketball. Additionally, information is available on Facebook via Facebook.com/SalukiAthletics or through downloading the "Salukis" Mobile App accessible on both Apple App Store and Google Play Store.