Women’s Basketball opens road swing at Morehead State on Thursday

By Will Becque siusalukis.com

The Southern Illinois women’s basketball team opens a two-game road swing at Morehead State on Thursday, Nov. 30. The Salukis (3-2) have won two-straight over the Eagles, but Morehead State is fresh off a season in which it won the Ohio Valley Conference regular season title and advanced to the WNIT for the first time in program history. Tip-off in Morehead, Ky. is set for 7:15 p.m. (CT)

Series History
Thursday’s matchup will mark the fourth all-time meeting between Morehead State and SIU, with Southern holding a 2-1 series lead. The Salukis have won two-straight in the series including their most recent meeting with the Eagles, a 102-69 win in Carbondale on Dec. 12, 2015 in a game in which SIU broke the school record for points in a game and seven Salukis scored in double figures. Southern also won the last time it played at Morehead St., a 75-66 win over the Eagles on Dec. 30, 2014.

Scouting the Eagles
The Eagles advanced to the WNIT for the first time in program history a year ago and return All-OVC Second Team selection Miranda Crockett, who averaged 11.2 points and 4.9 rebounds per game last season. Morehead State is 4-3 on the year and comes into Thursday’s contest having won two-straight, with wins over Chicago State (79-40) and Kentucky Christian (115-39) during the streak. Two of Morehead State’s four wins this season have come against NAIA opponents and five Eagles are currently averaging double figures. MSU is led by Tierra McGowan, who is averaging 15.1 points and 14.0 rebounds per game.

SIU vs. the OVC
The Salukis are 2-1 this season against Ohio Valley Conference opponents, and in 180 lifetime meetings against OVC schools sport a .722 winning percentage (130-50).

1,000 career points
Kylie Giebelhausen scored 13 points against SIUE to eclipse the 1,000 career point plateau on Nov. 27. She became the 25th Saluki to reach the career milestone, and the East Peoria, Ill. native joins Valparaiso’s Dani Franklin and Missouri State’s Liza Fruendt as the only active players in the Missouri Valley Conference in the 1,000-point club.

Back-to-Back Newcomer of the Week honors
Abby Brockmeyer was named the MVC’s Newcomer of the Week for the second-straight week after she scored 15 points and grabbed seven rebounds in SIU’s overtime win over SEMO on Nov. 22. The Raymond, Ill. native is just the third player in program history to earn back-to-back Newcomer of the Week honors, joining Stephany Neptune (2009-10) and Cartaesha Macklin (2011-12) as the only Salukis to have done so since the MVC began handing out the award during the 2003-04 season.