SIU’s women’s Basketball team (9-14, 6-8 MVC) bounced back from their close loss to #1 MVC team Illinois State with another impressive defensive performance against the Braves (3-22, 0-14 MVC). 

The Dawgs allowed just 59 points to the last-ranked team in the conference. That ties for the fourth-lowest point total allowed this year by the Dawgs. Their 83 points scored also marks the most points scored by SIU this year since their last game against the Braves back on January 5th.

SIU had a heck of a day rebounding the ball, with 43 total coming from the Maroon, tying for second most in a game all season, with 26 of them being defensive rebounds. Sophomore Laniah Randle led the way with 13, while junior Promise Taylor also hit double-digits with 11. Taylor also put up her first double-double in a Saluki uniform, by putting up 17 points in the process as well.

Graduate Student Ashley Jones led the point total for the Salukis, as usual, with 24 coming from her. Junior Shemera Williams had herself a day, earning 13 points and shooting 3 for 8 on field goals, including two threes.

The Braves had the hot hand early, but a huge three, followed by a steal and a layup by Jones put the Salukis up front for the first time in the game at 11-10. Southern ended the first up by six after Aja Holmes hit a jumper with just five seconds left. The Salukis extended that to 13 in the second after Laniah Randle came up with a layup of her own after the Braves missed two free throws.

Southern went into the locker room up by seven after a late three-pointer by the Braves lessened their deficit. But a 7-2 run to start the third brought the lead back up to 12 just three minutes into the second half. A run of five free throws made in a row for the Braves cut things to a seven-point deficit once more at 52-45 late in the third.

But the fourth was when things hit home for the Dawgs. Southern put up a 28-point final frame and finished the game on a 12-2 run in the final five minutes of play while limiting Bradley to just 12 points total in the quarter.

The Dawgs earned their sixth conference win of the season and return back to the Banterra Center for action on Friday against Belmont to start a four-game homestand. That matchup will start with a 6 pm tip-off time.

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

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