Saluki women’s basketball drops 11-point game to Valparaiso

The Saluki women’s basketball team (8-12, 5-10 MVC) was not able to overcome the 15-point lead Valparaiso (10-10, 6-7 MVC) held at the end of the third quarter, and SIU lost 75-64.

“Hats off to Valpo, they did a great job. They shot the ball extremely well and we didn’t have an answer,” head coach Cindy Stein said.

Junior guard Shay Frederick led scoring for Valpo with 28 points, and senior guard Makenzie Silvey and junior guard Payton McCallister led scoring for the Salukis with 16 points each.

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“I didn’t feel like we executed the game plan [and] we didn’t take care of the ball. The only thing we did well was we rebounded well,” Stein said.

Valpo started the first quarter with a three-pointer from redshirt junior guard Carie Weinman assisted by senior forward Ella Ellenson.

The Salukis tied the score, 5-5, after a three-point basket from Silvey and a layup from junior guard Caitlin Link.

Southern took a three-point lead with a layup and basket from Silvey.

Valpo regained the lead 11-9, after a layup from senior guard Grace White and a three-pointer from redshirt senior forward Caitlin Morrison.

SIU tied the score again with just under two minutes left in the first quarter with a layup from senior forward Rachel Pudlowski.

Southern ended the first quarter with a six-point lead, 17-11, after layups from Pudlowski, freshman guard Quierra Love and redshirt senior forward Gabby Walker.

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Valpo decreased SIU’s lead to one point after a three-point basket from White and layup from Weinman.

Scoring went back-and-forth between the two teams, but the Salukis managed to stay ahead 24-21.

The score was tied once again at 24-24 from a three-point basket by Valpo’s Frederick.

Three three-pointers from Frederick gave Valpo a four-point lead, 33-29, going into halftime.

“We absolutely did not want them to have a three-ball,” Stein said.

Weinman led scoring for Valpo at halftime with 17 points and Silvey led scoring for the Salukis with 11 points.

Valpo and SIU started the second half early with a layup and three-pointer from Morrison and a layup from McCallister.

After a layup from Weinman, Valpo led 40-35 halfway through the third quarter.

Valpo held their largest lead of the game at nine points after a three-point shot from Morrison.

An eight-point run from Valpo increased their lead to 51-37, with scoring from Morrison, freshman guard Lauren Gunn and Frederick.

Both teams continued scoring at the end of the third quarter, but Valpo kept the 15-point lead 59-44.

The Salukis continued fighting to decrease Valpo’s lead with layups from Silvey, Link and Walker, making the score 62-50.

Three-point baskets from Morrison and Frederick brought Valpo’s lead back up to 13 points near the end of the fourth quarter.

Although the Salukis continued to score at the end of the quarter with a three-pointer from McCallister and layup from Walker, it was not enough to gain the lead, and Valpo won 75-64.

The Salukis will take on Valpo again on Feb. 28 at the Banterra Center at 4 p.m.

Staff reporter Janae Mosby can be reached at jmosby@dailyegyptian.com or on Twitter at @mosbyj.

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