Southern Illinois has lost nine in a row. Illinois State has dropped six out of seven. But both teams have an opportunity to turn the corner when the Saluki and Redbird womens basketball teams meet at 3:05 p.m. Saturday in Redbird Arena.
Redbird coach Robin Pingeton values the opportunity to play less than 48 hours after dropping a 77-63 decision to an Evansville team which had shot just 38 percent for the season, but shot 53 percent against the Redbirds, accounting for more than the difference in the final score.
Its another day. Another opportunity for us to get things turned around, said Pingeton, whose Redbirds are 5-12 overall, 2-6 in the Missouri Valley.
New Saluki coach Dana Eikenbergs team has had two good efforts in a row fall just short, losing 54-53 to Evansville last Saturday and 78-66 at Indiana State on Thursday. SIU features one of the Valleys best three-point shooters in Danette Jones and all-around guard Daphney Desamours, who averages 12.8 points per game while leading SIU in assists, rebounds and steals.
Eikenberg is concerned about Illinois States potentially explosive offense that ranks No. 7 in the nation in three-point field goals per game.
By changing our defenses, we think we can throw them off, said Eikenberg, who has used only eight players this season and has a 2-15 record, 0-8 in the Valley. They have some shooters and you have to track them.
Although the Redbird record is down, Redbird attendance is up and Saturdays crowd will be expanded by a group coming from the Edwardsville area to cheer on Redbird freshman Amber Shelton, ISUs No. 4 scorer and rebounder this season who has been in the starting lineup since early December. Shelton, who lives in Worden, starred at Edwardsville High School.
Redbird senior Jaci McCormack is the only player who has started every game for Illinois State this season. Already one of the top 25 three-point shooters in Missouri Valley Conference history (and No. 2 at ISU), McCormack needs just 14 points to become the 21st player in Redbird history to score 1,000 career points. She will join teammate Katie Donovan at that level (Donovan hit 1,000 in the first game of the season). They are the first Redbirds to reach 1,000 points since 1997-98, when Jenny Schmidt, Corinne Vossel and Valarie Trame all reached 1,000.
The Redbirds have been rebounding lately and junior center Holly Hallstrom has been the biggest reason why. The junior college transfer has 50 rebounds in her last four games and has moved up to fifth in the Valley in rebounding.
The SIU game is No. 2 of a four-game home stand for the Redbirds, who also meet Drake on Friday and Creighton a week from Sunday, both at Redbird Arena.
