Thu 19 Nov 2009
WBB: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly after No. 18 Vanderbilt
Posted by petespitler under Saluki Women's Basketball
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The Good:
SIU came out with good intensity and for all purposes was in the game against a much more prominent opponent for nearly the entire first half. Katie Wagner’s reverse underhanded layup –which brought out some oohs and aahs from the crowd of 787 — cut the Commodores’ lead to 39-34 with 3:10 left before halftime.
The Salukis also shot much better overall against Vandy than in their 71-45 road loss to SLU on Friday. SIU shot an even 40 percent against the Commodores compared to 26.4 percent against the Billikens.
SIU freshman point guard Katerina Garcia also returned to the court after missing four weeks with a leg injury. She played a team-high 33 points against Vandy. With Christine Presswood returning from an eye injury to play against Northern Illinois on Sunday, SIU will get as healthy as it will ever get this season.
The Bad:
SIU had a season-high 28 turnovers against Vanderbilt and has had more turnovers than its opponent in every game the Salukis have played this season (including the exhibition contests). Taking care of the ball has been one of the running problems SIU has had over the years, along with the inability to put two good halves together.
The Salukis continue to shoot poorly from 3-point range and are averaging 27.2 percent (15-for-55) from beyond the arc in the four games combined.
The Ugly:
SIU opens the season 0-2 for the first time since the 2004-05 season, when the Salukis lost their first five games in former coach Dana Eikenberg’s first year. SIU finished 3-24 that season.
6-2 junior forward Nikki Howe has played just two minutes in four games and did not appear in the game against Vanderbilt. She’s been pratcicing and appears to be healthy, so this is something to keep an eye on in the days and weeks ahead.
Up Next:
SIU will try to snap an 11-game road losing streak Sunday when it vists Northern Illinois. The Huskies beat MVC foe Bradley 86-73 in the season opener, but then lost to Western Illinois 50-48 on Tuesday. NIU travels to IUPUI Thursday before hosting SIU.