Dec. 21, 2007

By Shalae Schulte
www.siusalukis.com

Box Score

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - The Southern Illinois women's basketball team put four players in double-figures, including a team-high 20 points from freshman Ellen Young in her first collegiate start to power past Tennessee Tech, 87-69, Friday night in the Eblen Center.

The Salukis picked up their third-straight victory to bring their record to 4-5 on the season, while Tennessee Tech, picked to finish fifth in the Ohio Valley Conference this season, dropped to 1-10 on the year.

Tennessee Tech was first two score on two free throws before Southern Illinois answered with 11 straight points including two layups by Jayme Sweere along with an Erica Smith 3-pointer and jumpers by Jasmine Gibson and Young. All four players finished in double-figures, led by Young.

Southern stayed at least 10 points ahead the entire half before TTU's Cara Reed hit a jumper with under a minute left in the half to bring the Golden Eagles within nine, 36-27.

The Salukis went on to score a season-high 51 points in the second half to pull away by as many as 22 for the win.

Sweere and Smith pitched in 18 points and a team-high six boards each, while Gibson added 17 points and three rebounds in the win. All three players battled foul trouble in the second half, Sweere fouling out with under four minutes left in the game.

The Salukis, who played with a four-guard rotation the majority of the game, were out-rebounded by the Golden Eagles, 29 to 23, but made up for the discrepancy by forcing 20 turnovers and committing just 10.

The Salukis return home for a three game home stretch to start the new year. Saturday, Dec. 29, SIU hosts Wisconsin-Green Bay in their final regular-season game before opening Missouri Valley Conference play against Indiana State Jan. 3.