wb-ball prevue at Indiana State

SIUC freshman center Kristine Abramowski dives, fights, jumps and does whatever else it takes to get her hands on the ball.

She does not have much in the way of experience, but she more than makes up for it with effort.

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I just think I am coming out and playing the way that I know how to play, Abramowski said. [It is] just coming out there everyday and giving the effort that is really needed on the floor at the time. If I can help the team, then that is what I am willing to do.

Abramowski provided some spark against Creighton University Thursday when she came off the bench and provided two key steals to help the Salukis mount a 20-5 run in the last five minutes of the game. She also had five points against Drake University Saturday to go with one steal.

Though the Salukis lost both games, associate head coach Julie Beck said Abramowski’s play gave SIUC a much needed boost.

She’s a winner as a person, Beck said. She is just a delight to be around, and it shows on the court. She will go in and do things that we need this team to do, whether it be dive on the floor for a loose ball or make a back-door cut. She’s an Energizer Bunny to me.

The energy she has on the court has not gone unnoticed by the rest of the Salukis. Sophomore forward Meredith Jackson credits Abramowski with the rally against Creighton.

I think it was encouraging to finally see some life coming out of us, Jackson said. [We had] some energy that we were lacking. That can mostly attributed to Kristine because that is how she plays really energetic and enthusiastically. It was nice to see that she was able to charge the rest of us and at least put us in the situation to win the game.

Jackson said if the team plays as hard as Abramowski did, then they can put together a winning streak and break the three-game losing streak they are in now.

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I think in order to beat the middle-of-the road teams we have coming up, we need to play with intensity and be aggressive for the entire basketball game, Jackson said. We showed we can do it at the end, but the question is, can we do it at the beginning?

The Salukis begin a two-game road trip that will take them to Indiana University tonight and Illinois State University Saturday. Indiana State is 6-3 in the Missouri Valley Conference and 12-5 overall for third place in the conference.

The Sycamores handed the Salukis a 69-47 loss at SIU Arena Jan. 4, and the Salukis are looking for a little revenge.

But that will be a difficult thing to do considering the Sycamores lead the MVC in scoring defense at 60.2 points per game and are second in the conference in field goal percentage defense, holding opponents to an average of 38 percent per game.

Indiana State is led by sophomore guard Amy Amstutz, who is third in the league in scoring with 18.4 points per game. She also leads the conference in rebounding at 8.5 boards per game.

She’s my vote right now for Player-of-the-Year in the conference, Beck said. You look at the stats and Amstutz is doing it all. Plus the fact that she came off ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) surgery in September. They didn’t even expect she’d play. She’s a competitor and one of the more hard-nosed players I have seen in this conference.

Beck said though both Indiana State and Illinois State are tough, she thinks the Salukis can play with them and hopes to be able to at least split on the road.

I would say if we can win all of our games at home that are left and if we can split on the road, that is a realistic goal for us, Beck said. Let’s take one of two and if we can get both, great. But we’ve got to win the home games that are left in this conference.

The Salukis have struggled at home. A Nov. 18 victory over the University of Memphis 68-65 is the Salukis’ only regular-season win at SIU Arena.

Jackson said it is tough to get on track on the road, but that is what the Salukis have to do to get out of their losing streak.

I think it is a good opportunity for us to begin to get ourselves on the right track, Jackson said. We’re opening up the second half our conference season, and it is no better time to get it started with a win and get some momentum.

SIUC takes on Indiana State University at 6 p.m. Thursday in Terre Haute, Ind.