Women’s Basketball at Evansville

What began as a close non-conference loss has now become a six-game losing streak for the SIUC women’s basketball team.

But while everyone is trying to figure out exactly what went wrong, O’Desha Proctor believes the best answer is to continue to play tough despite the team’s slip.

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The Salukis lost to Tennessee Tech University Dec. 13, also lost to the University of Colorado, and have since dropped four conference games.

Whatever the team needs, whether it is rebounding or shooting, that is what I am trying to do, Proctor said. We have all got to try harder to win games because the talent is definitely there.

Proctor has struggled along with the team, shooting just 23 percent from the field in her last two games. But that has not stopped her from taking the open shot when she has it and trying to help out a struggling offense.

The biggest things right now are the little things, like hurrying too much, Proctor said. When I get in a rush, the fundamentals seem to lack.

Proctor is not the only player struggling with fundamentals. SIUC blew a six-point lead with less than a minute to play in a 59-58 loss to Illinois State University Jan. 6. The Salukis had the lead with just under seven seconds to play and had two fouls to give, but failed to foul and gave away the game.

Center Melaniece Bardley said the team has no confidence right now and needs a win badly.

We are frustrated, discouraged, embarrassed and disappointed, Bardley said. We are anxious to play again. I just hope we win.

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The Salukis are 3-9 on the year and 0-4 in the Missouri Valley Conference. The team is tied for last place with the University of Evansville Aces heading into their matchup in Evansville today.

SIUC head coach Cindy Scott said her team can learn something from the Aces because Evansville has continued to play tough in every ball game. Three of the Aces’ conference losses have been by six points or less.

They are young and are hungry and are trying every game, Scott said. We need to feel like we have something to prove.

Scott will alter the starting lineup today in hopes of a change of fortunes. Starters Bardley and Meredith Jackson will be replaced by freshmen Courtney Smith and Marie Niebrugge.

They have worked a lot harder, Bardley said. Hopefully, they will motivate us to play.

Scott said the change in the lineup is necessary to find out what the best combinations are for the Salukis. Scott is not worried that the Aces need a win as badly as the Salukis do. But she is concerned about the morale of her team.

We are trying to right what has been a rocky road, Scott said. I have never coached a team that has lost six in a row. We have not shot well, and our defense needs to get better.

But correcting the problems will not be an easy thing to do on the road.

We had an opportunity [at home], but we did not get the job done, Scott said. We will just have to find out how tough we really are.

It is a tough situation, but Proctor said the Salukis need to win today or their chances to get into the conference tournament will suffer. The top eight of the league’s 10 teams qualify to play in the MVC Tournament March 5-7 in Springfield, Mo.

It is a must-win situation for us, Proctor said. The whole season will be a waste if we do not make the (MVC) Tournament.