DE Assistant Sports Editor

SIUC’s non-conference jinx continued Tuesday night as the women’s basketball team fell 79-57 to the University of Memphis at SIU Arena.

The loss puts the Salukis’ overall record at 6-7, with six of their losses coming against non-conference opponents, the first time in this decade for such an occurrence.

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SIUC came out slowly in the first minutes of play, and Memphis jumped out to an early 7-2 lead. The Salukis played catch-up for the remainder of the game.

A two-point shot by senior forward Christel Jefferson pulled the squad within three, 7-4, with 16:43 left in the game. This was as close as the team would come for the rest of the contest.

Memphis applied pressure and outpaced SIUC, causing the Salukis to commit 14 turnovers in the first half. The team would rack up 23 by the end of regulation.

While SIUC played poorly, the Lady Tigers took control under the basket behind the play of freshman center Tamika Whitmore, who scored 15 points before intermission and 32 in the contest.

Baskets from Jefferson and guard Nikki Gilmore late in the half were not enough to put the Salukis ahead, and Memphis held a 17-point lead, 45-28, at the end of the first 20 minutes of play.

Sophomore center Theia Hudson led SIUC when play resumed, scoring six points in under five minutes, bringing the score to 51-37.

Hudson’s help inside was not enough as Whitmore and the Lady Tigers were unstoppable, building their lead to 70-49 with just over five minutes left in the game.

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Whitmore continued her scoring rampage as time expired, leaving the Salukis in the dust.

SIUC women’s basketball head coach Cindy Scott said Whitmore was too tough for her team to handle.

She ate us alive, and she had the game of her life, she said. But, she’s strong. We don’t see post players like that in the Missouri Valley. We just did not step up our defense.

University of Memphis head coach Joye Lee-McNelis said Whitmore is having a typical freshman season, and that her performance was inspired by a desire to win.

I told her you’ve got to dominate’, Lee-McNelis said. Not just in scoring but you’ve got to dominate the glass’.

Scott said that her team was taken out of the game early by its inability to convert offensively.

I thought we attacked their press very well but we weren’t finishing at the end of it, she said. I thought mentally it really took us out of the game. We just struggled from there.

We just couldn’t finish anything. You cannot play ball clubs like this and not finish. I’m very disappointed with the senior squad that can’t play better than that.

Scott also said tonight’s loss will affect the Salukis’ chances of getting into the NCAA tournament.

This at home, a 22-point loss at home to Memphis, hurt us big time, Scott said. A bad loss for us and a bad loss for the conference.