SALUKIS ACCEPT BID TO WBI: FACE PANTHERS WEDNESDAY

William Becque – SIU Sports Information department

CARBONDALE, Ill. – For the second-straight season, the Southern Illinois women’s basketball team has accepted a bid to play in the Women’s Basketball Invitational (WBI) and will travel to Milwaukee, Wisc., to take on the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Wednesday at 7 p.m. inside the Klotsche Center.

The contest will mark the first-ever meeting between the Salukis and the Panthers. The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee plays in the Horizon League and went 20-11 this season, and has a postseason resume that includes wins over the University of Wisconsin, Loyola and Illinois State.

“We proudly accepted an invite to the WBI Tournament,” fourth-year head coach Cindy Stein said. “Postseason tournament experience is invaluable especially with eight underclassmen. It also is a reward to our three seniors who have been outstanding leaders in the development of this program. Postseason wins take tremendous heart and work ethic and we want to make Saluki Nation proud.”

For Southern, it marks its second-straight postseason appearance, and the eighth in program history. It is also just the second time in school history that the Salukis have made back-to-back postseason appearances, and the first time they have done so in 30 years.

Southern made the program’s first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance under legendary head coach Cindy Scott following the 1985-86 season, and followed that up by going 28-3 during the 1986-87 season, advancing to the NCAA Tournament for a second-straight season and winning the program’s first-ever NCAA Tournament game, a 70-56 win over Louisiana Tech.

Southern Illinois (16-14, 10-8 MVC) enters the postseason having had its four-game win streak snapped by the Wichita State Shockers, who defeated the Salukis, 73-60 on Friday, March 10.

Southern holds an 11-11 all-time record against current Horizon League opponents, with its last win over a Horizon League school coming on Nov. 18, 2000 in a 57-40 win over the University of Illinois-Chicago.

SIU is led by its All-MVC First-Team selections Rishonda Napier and Kylie Giebelhausen. Giebelhausen comes into the WBI averaging a team-best 13.9 points per game, while Napier will get a chance to chase a bit more history before she hangs up her Saluki uniform. The Burbank, Calif. native is 67 points shy of breaking Cartaesha Macklin‘s school record for points and could, conceivably, each that milestone with a long run through the WBI. She also needs just one three-pointer to move into sole possession of second on the Missouri Valley Conference’s all-time list.

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee is led by second team all-league selection Steph Kostowicz, as she leads the Panthers in both scoring (15.2 ppg) and rebounding (7.9 rpg) on the season.

The WBI began in 2010 and is a 16-team tournament. University of Louisana-Lafayette has won the past two championships.

Should SIU advance, the Salukis would face the winner of St. Francis (Pa.)/Campbell.