Carbondale Reporter

The Southern Illinois University (SIU) women's basketball team is set to embark on a four-game road trip, starting with matchups against Drake and Northern Iowa. The Salukis, who hold a 4-19 overall record and are 2-12 in conference play, will face Drake on Thursday at 6 p.m. and Northern Iowa on Saturday at 2 p.m.

Both games will be available for viewing on ESPN+, with Larry Morgan providing play-by-play commentary alongside analyst Laura Leonard for the game against Drake. Radio coverage will be provided by Larry Larson on NewsRadio WJPF 107.9 FM.

The Salukis are currently experiencing their fourth losing streak of three or more games this season, averaging 52.3 points per game during this period. Their recent performance has placed them in 11th position within the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC), sharing the same conference record as Evansville and Indiana State.

Despite challenges in scoring, SIU has shown strength in rebounding, averaging 37.8 rebounds per game—their best since the 2018-19 season—and leading the MVC in offensive rebounding with an average of 13.3 per game.

Gift Uchenna has been a standout player for SIU, averaging a program-record 13.2 rebounds per game and ranking second nationally in both rebounding and offensive rebounding. She is also tied for fourth nationally with 16 double-doubles this season.

Drake enters the contest against SIU holding second place in the MVC standings with an impressive six-game winning streak. Katie Dinnebier recently scored a career-high of 42 points in their victory over Belmont.

Northern Iowa holds sixth place in the league standings and is coming off a close loss to Murray State despite Maya McDermott's strong performance of 35 points and six assists.

Historically, SIU has struggled against both upcoming opponents, holding an all-time record of 30-69 against Drake and a record of 35-50 versus Northern Iowa.

Fans can follow updates on SIU women's basketball through social media platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, or by downloading the "Salukis" Mobile App from app stores.