Dec. 2, 2006

By Shalae Schulte
www.siusalukis.com

Box Score

OGDEN, Utah - The Southern Illinois women's basketball team (3-4), holding a 40-23 halftime lead over Weber State(4-3), survived a 24 to 10 second-half run by the Wildcats to hold on for the 69-65 victory at the Dee Events Center Saturday afternoon.

The game was tied five times before the Salukis went up for good on a 3-pointer by Jayme Sweere with 12:29 left to play in the first half.

A Carlai Moore jumper with 6:17 left in the half started a 13 to three run to end the half and put Southern on top heading into the locker room with a 17-point lead.

The Wildcats' Chelsey Warburton exploded for 20 of her game-high 30 points in the second half, including four of her six 3-pointers. Three of Warburton's threes came on a 15 to four run to bring the Wildcats within four, 60-56, with 3:36 left to play.

Warburton helped WSU to bring the game within one point, 66-65, after a back-to-back three-pointer and two-point jumper with nine seconds left.

The Salukis' Erica Smith and Sweere combined to drain four straight free throws to extend the lead in the waning seconds of the game to secure the win.

The Salukis dominated the boards, 36-to-24. They converted a season-high 16 offensive rebounds into 16 second-chance points.

Moore finished with a team-high 24 points, scoring 11 of the Salukis first 13 points of the game. SIU's lone senior added four assists and four boards.

Sweere pitched in a season-high 23 points, adding six boards, two assists and a steal.

For the fifth-time this season, the Salukis outscored their opponents bench, 19 to seven including nine points, four boards and two assists from Erica Smith. Jasmine Gibson also came off the bench to grab a game-high eight boards, adding six points.