Carbondale Reporter

Southern Illinois University's women's basketball team experienced its first loss of the season on Saturday, falling to Purdue Fort Wayne 85-60. The game took place in Fort Wayne and marked the Salukis' first road contest of the year.

Alayna Kraus led Southern Illinois with 20 points, following up on her strong debut performance. Kayla Cooper added 15 points, while Tkiyah Nelson contributed 10 points along with six rebounds, three assists, and three steals.

The game started with both teams tied at two points each before Purdue Fort Wayne went on an 11-0 run to take a commanding lead. Although Southern Illinois managed to cut the deficit briefly, Purdue Fort Wayne maintained control throughout the game.

In the second quarter, SIU's defense improved and held Purdue Fort Wayne without a field goal for nearly seven minutes. Kraus made a three-pointer late in the half to reduce the gap to ten points, but free throws and a last-second three-pointer from Purdue Fort Wayne extended their lead to 16 at halftime.

After halftime, Purdue Fort Wayne increased its lead again. Despite efforts from Kraus and Nelson to keep the score within reach, Southern Illinois was unable to mount a significant comeback. The Mastodons pushed their advantage to as much as 29 points in the third quarter.

In the final period, both teams struggled offensively during stretches. Cooper scored several layups for SIU but each time saw immediate responses from Purdue Fort Wayne. Hiba Malkawi's buzzer-beating three-pointer closed out scoring for Southern Illinois in the loss.

Southern Illinois now holds a record of one win and one loss this season. The team will return home briefly before traveling again to face Missouri on Tuesday, November 18 at 6:30 p.m.

Fans can follow updates about Southern Illinois women's basketball through social media platforms such as Twitter (@SIU_WBasketball), Instagram (@SIU_WBasketball), Facebook (Facebook.com/SalukiAthletics), or by downloading the "Salukis" mobile app from major app stores.