Carbondale Reporter

The Southern Illinois University (SIU) women's basketball team, seeded 12th, is set to face the fifth-seeded Illinois State Redbirds in the opening round of the Credit Union 1 Missouri Valley Conference tournament. The game will take place on Thursday at 2:30 p.m. in Evansville, Indiana.

Fans can watch the game on ESPN+ with Brad Wells providing play-by-play commentary and Jacqui Kalin as the analyst. Larry Larson will cover the radio broadcast on NewsRadio WJPF 107.9 FM.

Southern Illinois ended their regular season with a record of 4-25 overall and 2-18 in conference play. Their last match was a high-scoring affair against Illinois State, where they scored 86 points but lost 99-86. This marked their highest point total for the season.

The winner of Thursday's game will advance to face No. 4 Drake on Friday at 2:30 p.m. in the quarterfinals. SIU aims to secure a first-round victory for the first time since defeating Indiana State in the 2022-23 season.

SIU has shown strength in rebounding this season, achieving its best average since the 2018-19 season with an average of 36.5 rebounds per game. They are third in offensive rebounding within their conference and have recorded double-digit offensive boards in most games.

Gift Uchenna has been pivotal for SIU, setting new single-season records for rebounds-per-game (12.7) and total rebounds (369). She ranks second nationally in rebounding and third in offensive rebounding.

Kayla Cooper achieved a career-high of 23 points against Illinois State recently and has scored over 20 points twice this season, both times against Illinois State.

Isabella Palmqvist has made significant contributions from beyond the arc with her three-point shooting, making her one of SIU's top freshmen shooters historically.

Tkiyah Nelson has excelled defensively with multiple steals across several games this season.

Illinois State secured their fifth seed after finishing their regular season with a record of 14-6 in conference play and an overall record of 20-11. Shannon Dowell leads them offensively, averaging 16 points per game.

In series history, Illinois State holds an advantage over SIU with a lead of 69-46 and seven consecutive wins against them.

For updates on SIU's progress throughout the tournament, fans can follow them on social media or download their mobile app for news and information.