The Salukis hit the road and traveled to the University of Illinois-Chicago to face the Flames on Thursday, Feb. 5, in a wild contest that featured long runs and an exciting buzzer-beater that gave SIU its third victory in the last four games. The Dawgs walked out of the arena with a 55-53 win.

The Flames nabbed the tipoff, but couldn’t put any points up. Guard Alayna Kraus knocked down two jumpers early on, giving SIU a quick lead. The Dawgs shot efficiently and played clean defense, as they were not charged with a foul for the entire first quarter. 

Shooting nearly 50% from the field in the quarter, the Salukis strung together a 7-point run, followed by an 8-point run. The Flames could not find any points and left the quarter facing a 17-4 deficit on 2-15 shooting. 

“We’re focused on every possession, trying to get better and better and trying to play as a unit,” head coach Kelly Bond-White said during the postgame broadcast. 

Looking to maintain a marginal lead, forward Indya Green hit a smooth stepback jumper, keeping the strong pace up from the first quarter. The Salukis started missing a few shots, and the Flames went on a 7-point run, cutting the lead down to 12. 

Multiple Salukis contributed on the offensive end and posted enough points to enter the half with a 15-point lead. The Salukis took care of business from inside the arc, attempting only three 3-pointers throughout the half. A free throw by Green shortly before the conclusion of the second quarter bumped the Dawgs up to a 29-14 lead after 20 minutes of play. 

The second half was underway, and the Flames came out with a newfound energy. UIC quickly put up a 5-point and 6-point run, making up a lot of ground early in the quarter. The Flames kept applying pressure and minimized the lead. Consecutive layups by guards Karris Allen and Tkiyah Nelson slowed the momentum, and the Salukis had a 39-30 lead going into the final quarter. 

The Flames opened up the fourth quarter with yet another 5-point run, and the Salukis began to sweat as their formerly large lead was being chipped away. Midway through the quarter, two UIC free throws gave the Flames their first lead of the night at 44-43. 

The Salukis cashed four consecutive field goals to regain the lead. With 13 seconds left, the Flames tied the game and put the final shot in the hands of the Salukis. After a missed jumper, forward Jeniah Thompson secured the tough offensive rebound and put in a layup to secure a victory at the buzzer.

“Jeniah has been strong on the boards all year. I’m glad she was in position to get that,” Bond-White said.

With this victory, the Salukis improve to 7-13 overall and 4-7 in MVC games. The Flames fall to 10-12 overall and 5-6 in conference play. The Dawgs take to the court next in Valparaiso, Indiana, and wrap up a three-game road trip to face the Beacons of Valparaiso University on Saturday, Feb. 7. 

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

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