DE Assistant Sports Editor

SIU Arena will heat up tonight when the Saluki women’s basketball squad takes on its oldest rival, the Lady Redbirds of Illinois State University.

For over three decades, the two squads have battled on the hardwood, and a victory would help SIUC (7-8 overall, 5-2 in conference) gain ground on second-place ISU (9-6, 6-1) in the Missouri Valley Conference race, and improve its overall series record to 31-32.

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Coming off a tough 66-58 loss at Bradley Monday night, the Salukis will have to work hard in order to reach these goals.

SIUC women’s basketball associate coach Julie Beck said the squad will have to work consistently on offense in order to win. She said the team needed attack the hoop and not depend on scoring from only one area of the court.

You can’t live and die by the three, Beck said.

Part of the Salukis’ past offensive problems have come when the squad faced a zone defense.

Beck said she expects the Lady Redbirds to play both zone and man-to-man defenses, to keep the Salukis off-balance offensively.

Senior forward Christel Jefferson said she feels the team will be able to handle zone pressure better than in past games.

Beck also said it would take an entire team effort to win, but she is looking to the older players to pave the way for the remainder of the squad.

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Our seniors as a whole need to step up and play consistently, she said. Four out of five of our seniors play a lot. They need to step up, not just one one day, and one the next.

Jefferson agreed with coach Beck and said developing consistency would bring the squad closer together.

I think once we build a foundation where we can be consistent on both ends, that will build a chemistry that will help us win, she said.

Beck said the squad must also shut down ISU’s freshman point guard, Jenny Schmidt, who is ranked third in the MVC in assists with 75 on the season so far.

ISU women’s basketball head coach Jill Hutchison said she has three main concerns going into the contest junior guard Kasia McClendon, senior guard Nikki Gilmore and Jefferson.

We have struggled being able to stop Kasia McClendon, and we have struggled being able to stop Nikki Gilmore, she said. Christel (Jefferson) is playing very well. Right now, those would be our biggest concerns.

McClendon leads the MVC in steals, is second in scoring and eighth in assists, while Jefferson ranks second in rebounds. Gilmore leads SIUC in free throw shooting, ranks second in assists and third in scoring.

Hutchison also said she is excited about the matchup, and she foresees a tight game.

I expect to see a very hard-fought game, she said. I expect it to be a very close game. I expect to see a lot of good defense from Southern Illinois. I expect to see them attacking the basket, and that’s our goal, to stop that.

Junior center Tiffany Spencer said it will be a tough contest, but the team is focused and knows the contest is important to MVC competition.

You can only lose so many games before they knock you out, she said.