Hoping to snap a 6-game skid, the Salukis hosted the Redhawks of Southeast Missouri State University on Saturday, Dec. 6, for a matinee women’s basketball game. While searching for a victory over the rivals, the Salukis struck gold with a team win over SEMO by a score of 76-71

The Redhawks won the tip, but had their first shot blocked. Relentless defense from both teams led to multiple blocks and drawn charges early in the quarter. The scoring was opened up by a SEMO 3-pointer, and not too long after, SIU center Mia Gaines and guard Kayla Cooper responded with a few layups to knot the game at six points apiece. 

Guard Karris Allen converted an impressive and-1 to put an exclamation point on a 10-point SIU run, giving the Dawgs the lead for the first time. The quarter concluded with the Salukis on top with a score of 16-14.

Strong rebounding and defense from the Salukis slowed down the Redhawks’ offense to begin the second quarter. SEMO’s offense started to break through the Saluki defense and got within two points by efficiently driving into the paint and scoring. 

The Salukis were quick to respond and regained the lead, bringing it back up to five. The Redhawks found themselves in foul trouble, and the Salukis developed their lead from the free-throw line. To close out the first half, the Salukis held a 2-point margin over the Redhawks. 

The second half was underway, and the Redhawks quickly regained the lead. Guard Alayna Kraus answered with a floater and knotted the intense match at 39-39. The Salukis racked up three fouls in the same amount of minutes, putting themselves in a tough situation coming out of the half. Both teams continued to display an efficient offense, and the neck-and-neck battle persisted with a plethora of lead changes.

The fourth quarter began, and the Redhawks jumped out to another lead with a strong interior presence. Cooper would add to her high-scoring game with a big 3-pointer, keeping the Salukis’ hopes alive. Kraus sprinted down the court and completed a fast break with a layup, tying the game at 66-66. Gaines would give the Salukis a late lead with a drive layup, and the Banterra Center crowd’s excitement was on full display. Guard Tkiyah Nelson dropped in a clutch basket to add to her well-rounded game.

“When you go through her (Nelson) statline, it’s a little bit of everything,” Coach Kelly Bond-White said. “She’s going to have a triple-double before this is over with.”

With the clock winding down, SEMO needed to put up a good shot, but Nelson swooped in for the steal with 15 seconds left. A technical foul allowed the Salukis to get a 5-point lead and secure a home victory.

“We just needed to stay together and get that stop… and we won,” Nelson said.

With this victory, SIU snaps its 6-game losing streak and holds a record of 2-6. SEMO now has a record of 3-5. The Salukis will return to action on Thursday, Dec. 18, to face Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois for the first conference match of the season.

Sports reporter Noah Petschke can be reached at [email protected]

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