CARBONDALE - With just over five minutes left in the game, Southern Illinois sliced the Western Michigan lead to four points and got a stop on the defensive end. Momentum seemed to be in favor of the Saluki women.

However, an SIU turnover led directly to a Taylor Manley bucket, which started a 7-0 run and resulted in an 82-77 loss in non-conference play. The Saluki women are now 0-4.

"That was just so frustrating," said SIU coach Missy Tiber. "In the first eight minutes of the second half, we had nine turnovers. I think that was truly the story of the game. Down four points with the ball, you have to score there."

SIU had 10 first half turnovers and managed a 35-33 lead at the half.

The Salukis got off to a quick start in the first half. When Christine Presswood drained a 3-pointer at the 8:04 mark SIU had a 27-18 lead, it's largest of the game. Presswood had 13 of those 27 points.

"I thought we started the game really well," Tiber said. "We got out of the gates really well. We got Christine Presswood going and I thought that was good for us.

"I don't know what happened. I know we got in some foul situations and we got stalled on 27 points. I want to go back as a coach and look and see what happened at that stage."

Turnovers are a big part of the story.

The Salukis turned the ball over three times in the next two minutes, allowing Western Michigan to go on a 9-2 run.

"A turnover is a turnover," Presswood said. "It's never good, especially when the other team capitalizes. It shifts the momentum quickly. The turnovers are getting too out of control. It's something we've got to keep working on."

The Salukis held a four-point lead early in the second half, but Western Michigan tied the game at 41 when Aurielle Anderson hit a short baseline jumper. Two SIU turnovers later, Miame Giden hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key and a 44-41 lead.

Western Michigan never relinquished that lead.

Giden and Taylor Manley, who played at John A. Logan College in Carterville, were a two-person wrecking crew for the Broncos.

Giden had 31 points on 12-of-23 shooting, including 4-of-5 from 3-point range. Manley added 20 points to go with six assists and five steals.

"We knew they had some matchup problems with us they created with Giden," Tiber said. "She's a phenomenal player. I told our girls if we were going to win tonight we had to stop Giden and Manley. We weren't able to do it."

In the meantime, the Salukis had to deal with a short bench. Olivia Lett left the team earlier this week and Nneka Nwani was sidelined by a knee injury. Tiber played nine players, but LaToya Hambrick had just 10 minutes, Nicole Howe nine and Katerina Garcia five.

"Our same six are getting most of the minutes anyway," Tiber said. "To be honest with you, if we're going to be competitive on a nightly basis, we need to play those 6-7 kids in the 30s."

Offensively, the Salukis placed four players in double figures, paced by Stephany Neptune's 22. She added 11 rebounds to complete the double-double. The senior guard also had four assists and four blocks.

Presswood finished the game with 20 while Eboni Crayton had 16 and Teri Oliver 10.

Tiber said it was a game the Salukis should have figured out how to win.

"I think that comes with a team with some on-court leadership and it also comes with kids that know how to win in tough situations," she said "Unfortunately, we're still learning how to do that. If I had to pick out two factors tonight, I wasn't overly impressed with our effort and we were very careless with the basketball."

The Salukis return to action at the Colliers International Classic Dec. 5-6. They don't play at home again until meeting Murray State Dec. 19.

les.winkeler@thesouthern.com/618-351-5088