Salukis win first opener since 2008

By Thomas Donley

A group effort by the SIU women’s basketball team Friday night brought the Salukis their first season-opening win since 2008.

After only five wins last season, SIU knocked off the University of Tennessee-Martin 87-78. The Skyhawks are coming off a 24-8 campaign in which they made the NCAA tournament.

Five Salukis scored in double digits, including redshirt sophomore point guard Rishonda Napier, who led SIU with 20.

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Napier’s ball handling allowed the Salukis to consistently break the UT-Martin full-court press.

Friday’s game was Napier’s first official game action in 352 days. She missed most of last year due to complications from chronic insomnia.

“I’ll tell you one thing,” Napier said. “I’m going to sleep good tonight.”

Junior center Dyana Pierre recorded her 23rd career double-double, racking up 16 points and 11 rebounds.

Senior guard Mercedes Griffin contributed 15 points off the bench. Junior guard Cartaesha Macklin and junior forward Azia Washington each scored 11.

Reigning Ohio Valley Conference Freshman of the Year, sophomore Ashia Jones scored a career-high 29 points and hauled in 11 rebounds for UT-Martin.

Each team led by as many as seven points in the first half. The Skyhawks took a 47-44 lead into the locker room.

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The Salukis took advantage of a number of missed layups and turnovers to take as much as an 11-point lead. They also moved the ball well in breaking the UT-Martin press.

Head coach Cindy Stein said the frantic pace of the game played well into the Salukis’ hands.

“It was a really up-tempo game,” Stein said. “I think that’s good for us. We talk about our conditioning all preseason and how it was going to pay off. I think it really paid off today.”

The SIU bench outscored UT-Martin’s 24-9. The Salukis outrebounded the Skyhawks 43-27.

Thomas can be reached at [email protected] and on Twitter @tdonleyde

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