SIU Women’s Basketball (0-1) opened their 2021 season with a road trip to #15 ranked Tennessee (1-0) to play the Lady Volunteers in which they lost 59-49.

SIU had two players record double digits in points, including sophomore guard Quierra Love and Forward graduate student Gabby Walker. Love tallied a team-high 13 points and went 5-8 on field goals including 3-4 from beyond the three point line. She also had two steals, two assists, and a rebound off of her 33 minutes of play-time. Walker put up 10 points of her own and went 4-5 on field goals and made both of her free throw attempts. Walker also tallied four rebounds and an assist off of her 26 minutes of play-time.

Also worth mentioning were senior guard Caitlin Link and forward graduate Student Abby Brockmeyer. Link put up nine points of her own, making all three attempts from beyond the three point line in just 14 minutes of play-time. Brockmeyer led the team in rebounds with eight and had four points, four assists, and two steals off her team high 36 minutes of play time.

The Salukis led the game throughout most of the first three quarters. The first quarter went back-and-forth with the Salukis earning the first points of the game, but the Vols went on an 8-0 run to gain the lead at 8-2. A 9-0 run by the Salukis then gave them the lead at 11-8. A jump-shot and two made free throws by the Vols gave them the narrow lead to end the first quarter at 12-11.

The second quarter contained 9 different ties or lead changes as it also went back and forth as well. Neither team gained a lead by more than three at any point during the second quarter. At 25-27 at the 1:24 mark late in the second, a clutch three pointer and jump-shot by Love and Walker gave SIU the lead heading into halftime at 30-27.

Early in the third SIU got to see their largest lead of the day coming from a three-pointer by junior guard Allea Potter to make it 35-29. The Vols responded with a 7-0 run of their own to retake the lead at 36-35, but SIU regained the lead once again with a Gabby Walker layup in the paint to make it 37-36. At 40-38 with 50 seconds left, Love drilled a jump-shot in the paint to put an exclamation on SIU’s lead to end the third quarter leading 42-38 and putting the Vols on upset alert.

The Vols weren’t having it from SIU and down 47-42 with just over five minutes remaining, Tennessee went on a game-sealing 17-2 run to seal the game at 59-49, keeping SIU from upsetting the Vols on the road.

The Saluki Women’s Basketball team will continue their season on the 14 of November with another road game against the Kansas City Roos with the tip-off to be announced.

Sports reporter Joseph Bernard can be reached at [email protected] or on twitter @Jojobernard2001.

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