The SIU women’s basketball team blew a fourth-quarter lead over Morehead State (5-3) on Thursday evening and fell 85-81.

Southern looked to bounce back from its devastating loss to SIU-Edwardsville on Monday night.

The contest marked the fourth meeting between the Eagles and Salukis, as Southern won the previous two matchups.

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After seven stale minutes in the first quarter, SIU broke away with a 3-pointer from freshman guard Makenzie Silvey — who finished with 14 points — that gave SIU a 19-11 lead.

MSU ended the first period with the momentum, as they put up a 6-2 run and trailed 21-17 at the end of the first quarter.

The Salukis fired on all cylinders in the second quarter and started with a 10-3 run sparked by a 3-pointer from senior guard Kylie Giebelhausen, who led the team with 22 points on the night. The run earned Southern its first double-digit lead at 31-20.

With layups and free-throws, the Eagles battled their way back into the game just before halftime with the score at 42-39 in favor of SIU.

After the squads traded points in the third quarter, SIU found its footing and posted eight unanswered points that began with a layup from freshman forward Abby Brockmeyer.

The Salukis maintained their lead for the remainder of the third quarter that was capped off with a 3-pointer from Giebelhausen. After three, Southern held a 69-61 lead.

MSU began its comeback in the fourth quarter as Southern only shot 17 percent from the field.

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The Eagles owned the first four minutes of the final quarter and pieced together an 11-2 run which gave them a 74-71 advantage.

After it lost the lead, Southern never shifted the momentum back into its favor, as the Salukis suffered their second straight loss.

The bench played significant minutes for SIU and contributed 27 total points.

Up next, SIU (3-3) will head to Huntington, West Virginia to take on Marshall. Tip-off is scheduled for 12 p.m. on Saturday.

Sports reporter Dillon Gilliland can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter at @DillonGilliland.

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