Banterra Center | Southern Illinois University Athletics
Banterra Center | Southern Illinois University Athletics
Despite achieving a season-high score, the Southern Illinois University women's basketball team faced a 99-86 defeat against Illinois State. This result places the Salukis as the No. 12 seed for the upcoming Missouri Valley Conference tournament. They are set to face Illinois State again next Thursday at 2:30 p.m. in Evansville, Indiana.
The game also marked Senior Day, with Southern honoring Tyranny Brown, Jeniah Thompson, and Se'Quoia Allmond.
SIU shot 57.1% from the field, including 47.1% from three-point range and 85.7% at the free throw line. Meanwhile, Illinois State achieved a shooting percentage of 58.5%, with a notable 53.3% success rate from deep and 71.4% from the free throw line.
Illinois State edged out Southern in rebounding, winning that battle by one rebound (30-29) and committing fewer turnovers (eight compared to Southern's twelve).
Southern scored consistently across quarters but particularly excelled in the second half with a total of 54 points—25 in the third quarter and 29 in the fourth—while maintaining impressive shooting percentages of up to 85.7%.
Kayla Cooper led SIU with a career-high of 23 points, supported by teammates Tkiyah Nelson (17 points), Gift Uchenna (12 points and 11 rebounds), Alice Curman (11 points), and Isabella Palmqvist (10 points).
The upcoming first-round match will be their third encounter this season against Illinois State, who leads their series so far.
For updates on the Salukis, fans can follow them on Twitter (@SIU_WBasketball), Instagram (@SIU_WBasketball), Facebook (Facebook.com/SalukiAthletics), or through the "Salukis" Mobile App available on both major app stores.
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