Great efforts from senior Christel Jefferson and junior Kasia McClendon were not enough as the Salukis fell 65-57 in their home-opener to the University of Illinois Saturday night.

Jefferson led the Salukis with 17 points and a career-high 14 rebounds, posting the first double-double of the season for SIUC. McClendon scored 16 points and grabbed 4 boards in the contest.

Field goals by LaQuanda Chavours and Christel Jefferson put SIUC out to a 4-3 lead early in the first half. The Salukis went ahead 7-4 on a three -point play by O’Desha Proctor with just under 16 minutes left on the clock.

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The Illini took a 8-7 lead on a two-point field goal by Ashley Berggren, who scored 20 points for U of I, with 14:37 left in the first half.

A McClendon field goal gave SIUC a 9-8 advantage, and the Salukis remained on top until the Illini went ahead 18-15 on a three-point play by Ann Henderson, who scored 18 points in the game, with just over eight minutes left in the half.

The lead bounced back and forth until McClendon hit a three-pointer with 1:20 left to play to put the Salukis up 31-29. Tracy Holscher hit a field goal to make it a 33-29 SIUC lead, but two Henderson field goals tied it up 33-33.

Currie Robertson nailed a two-point shot at the buzzer to put the Illini up 35-33 going into the locker room.

The Salukis came out cold in the second half and U of I quickly took charge of the game.

Christel Jefferson scored SIUC’s first four field goals of the half, cutting the Illini lead to 50-41 with just under 11 minutes left in regulation.

The Illini pressured the Saluki offense throughout the second half, and SIUC did not score again until Beth Hasheider hit a three-point shot with just under eight minutes to go to bring the squad within 10, 54-44.

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A Hasheider free throw combined with a McClendon three-point basket pulled the Salukis within six, 56-50, with 5:26 left.

McClendon fouled out of the game with just over five minutes left, and it was the first time McClendon had fouled out of a game since last season.

Jefferson hit two free throws to bring SIUC within four, 58-54, but Henderson and Berggren combined for seven points down the stretch to ensure an Illini victory.

The University of Illinois women’s basketball head coach Theresa Grentz said her team came into the contest ready to make SIUC work.

We couldn’t allow Southern Illinois to just come down and run their offense, she said. They’d blow us right out of here. We needed to stretch the game and make it a 94-foot basketball game.

SIUC women’s basketball head coach Cindy Scott said this pressure led to her squad’s 30 turnovers in the game.

Thirty turnovers, I mean, give me a break, she said. They were pressuring us, they forced us, they pressed us the whole game. They were very aggressive in their half-court defense and their zone. We didn’t respond. We played tentative. We played scared.

Scott also said the press would not have been as effective if Nikki Gilmore was in the line up.

I don’t think they would have pressed us if Nikki was healthy, she said.

Scott said she expects Gilmore to be ready to play against Vanderbilt on Tuesday.

The youth of her squad was also a factor in the loss, but she expects improvement out of her players in the next few weeks, Scott said.

I don’t know, she said. I don’t have answers. We’re young. We’re playing a lot of inexperienced kids. We’re just not very good right now. When we go to Florida, we’ll be a very different team.

McClendon said the lack of experience on the squad is frustrating, but she knows her teammates are working hard.

I was young too, so I know how it is, when you’re out there and you get a chance to play when you’re first here, she said. It’s frustrating for them too, because they have to learn everything and deal with all that negativity.

Jefferson said the Salukis’ future will be brighter once the team gets some experience on the floor.

We’re a strong team, she said. We’ve got to learn to play strong. I think once we get that, we’re going to be OK. When we get Nikki Washington in here, Heather (Slater) back, Nikki Gilmore, we’re going to be tough. It will be hard to beat us.

The Salukis take on Vanderbilt Tuesday at SIU Arena. Tip-off is scheuled for 7:05 p.m.

SIUC faces tough competition over the holiday break.

The team travels to Florida to play Florida International and Miami Dec. 18 and Dec. 20 respectively. Then, the Salukis start the new year on the road, playing Wichita State Jan. 2 and Southwest Missouri Jan. 4. Drake, Creighton, Evansville and Memphis travel to Carbondale Jan. 7, 9,13 and16.