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Women's Basketball falls short to league-leading Drake, 55-52
Jan. 18, 2008 By Shalae Patrick
CARBONDALE, Ill. - It was down to the wire for the Southern Illinois women's basketball team Friday night with a chance to take the game to overtime against league-leading Drake. Erin Pauk's shot was batted short by a Bulldog defender, as DU went on to remain a perfect 4-0 in Missouri Valley Conference play at SIU Arena, 55-52. "For the first time all year, I think we held strong to the defensive game plan so I'm really pleased with that," Saluki head coach Dana Eikenberg said. "For the first time I thought understood, we committed to it and we really communicated and made a forty-minute effort." The Salukis (6-9, 2-3 MVC) held the Bulldogs (11-4, 4-0 MVC) to their third-lowest point total of the season, the only game of the three Drake managed to win. ""We took Drake completely out of what they wanted to do and that's all I asked of the team," Eikenberg added. "I didn't want (Drake) to have 40 minutes to slice and dice us. I really thought they only had about an eight-minute stretch where they were able to get whatever they wanted. I'm pleased with our defensive effort." SIU led by as many as nine in the first half, their largest lead, 25-16, with 7:55 left to play in the period. At the 3:21 mark, Drake started an 11-to-4 run to closeout the half and tie the game at 35 at the break. The Salukis jumped back up to a four-point lead (41-37) with just over 15 minutes left in the game, but two straight jumpers by the Bulldogs tied the game for the fifth time at 41-41. SIU would tie the game two more times, but never recover, DU taking their largest lead of the game, 53-47 with just over four minutes to play. Southern, who shot 55 percent (16-of-29) in the first half, then turned around to shoot just 29 percent (8-of-27) in the second half. They were held to 52 points, the lowest game total this season, including a season-low 17 second-half points.
Drake's Jill Martin led all players with 17 points, adding six defensive boards and two steals. Lindsay Whorton added 12 points and four assists, the only other Bulldog in double-figures. Jayme Sweere led the Salukis with her sixth-career double-double, a 14 point, 12 rebound effort, adding three assists and three blocks. Erin Pauk added a season-high 13 points, shooting 50 percent (5-of-10) from the field. Erica Smith added 10 points and eight boards to go with four steals. The Salukis return to action when they host Creighton, Sunday, Jan. 20, for a 2:05 p.m. tip-off at SIU Arena. |
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