Anger has nothing to do with it for Meredith Jackson.

Being benched may be strong motivation for Jackson, but she was not upset when she scored 20 points against Evansville University Monday night.

I don’t believe I was playing with anger, Jackson said. It was just playing with a purpose.

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Jackson has struggled this season with her shooting, posting up a 38-percent field goal average for the season. But she was 5-for-11 from the field Monday while draining four treys.

She is not sure whether or not her shooting problems are behind her this season. Right now, Jackson’s concern is trying to continue to look for the open shots.

They think I pass up shots, she said. It is just a matter of getting comfortable when I do get the ball. I just went in (Monday’s game) with the mindset that I have to shoot more.

Despite Jackson’s effort on the court Monday, women’s coach Cindy Scott said its is likely Jackson and Melaniece Bardley would not appear in the starting lineup again against Bradley University Thursday.

Mel and Meredith both seem more relaxed coming off the bench, Scott said.

Jackson understands that the team needs to do something different especially after a new starting lineup had success against Evansville.

I think we needed to make some changes, Jackson said. We won the game, so I am not complaining.

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Scott is not sure who will be starting in place of Jackson and Bardley. Freshman guard Maria Niebrugge, who started Monday’s game, will not be able to play this weekend because of an ankle injury.

Her status will be re-evaluated every day, but Scott said she will definitely miss the next two games. The MRI results came up negative, and the injury appears to be a sprained ankle.

The Salukis will play a struggling Bradley team that has lost three of its last four Missouri Valley Conference games.

The Braves are led by Heather Best, who is averaging 11.9 points per game and 6.6 rebounds. She also leads her team in steals with 1.6 per game.

The Braves are 1-5 in the conference and, like SIUC, are vying for a spot in the MVC tournament March 5-7.

We have two crucial games, Scott said. This is something we have never done before. We are competing with the lower echelon of teams [trying to get] into the conference tournament.

The key to winning in Peoria will be better shooting. The Salukis are shooting 40 percent from the field and are allowing opponents to shoot 44 percent from the field in conference games.

The biggest thing is the shooting percentage that has hurt us, Scott said. We need to improve our defense and stop getting outrebounded. I think we are playing with a lack of aggressiveness.

Scott believes that her team is on the road to regaining confidence, but it is going to take more than the win against last-place Evansville.

Evansville is a team that is down, and we were playing them without their best player, Scott said. We do not have a great amount of pride, but it is certainly much better than a loss.

Scott said the Salukis ought to look more to the future with a little anger about the past and their 4-9 record.

That is the attitude we all need to take, Scott said. We all need to be furious at what we have done, and we all should be angry.

The Salukis play Bradley at 7 p.m. Thursday in Peoria and travel to Des Moines, Iowa to take on the University of Northern Iowa at 3:05 p.m. Saturday.

The games can be heard on 106.3 WQRL-FM or at http://www.siu.edu/~athletic.