After suffering 26 losses last season, the Salukis have been facing many mental and physical changes allotted by the new coaching staff.

The women’s basketball team has been searching for ways to better themselves as a unit. In 2010, SIU ended its season with only two wins and 28 losses. In 2011, the Salukis overall record was 8-22, and in 2012 they ended their season with only five wins.

Throughout the few games played this year, the Salukis have been facing the same repetitive mistakes in each matchup. Defensively, they are having a hard time boxing out and forcing outside shots. On offense, it has been difficult for SIU to make long distance shots and crucial free throws.

Coach Cindy Stein has been working to turn the program around. Stein previously coached at Illinois Central College where the Cougars went 32-4. Prior to her arrival, the Cougars were a team that went 16-16.

Stein has been working with the Salukis to boost their confidence, and work together as a team. Stein said the SIU women sometimes keep their heads down after a mistake, and she is trying to fix that.

Junior guard Cartaesha Macklin said nervousness plays a factor in her game, as well as her teammates. Macklin has been a leading scorer for SIU, and recently tallied her 1,000th point in her college career.

“I get nervous all the time no matter what,” Macklin said. “It doesn’t matter who we play, what division they’re in or anything, I still get nervous, but it eventually wears off.”

The Salukis went head-to-head with Wright State University in their season opener. SIU could not make outside shots count, shooting 30 percent from the 3-point line and 23 percent from the free-throw line and lost 67-64.

Sophomore forward Dyana Pierre ended the game with a double-double, with 12 points and 15 rebounds. Sophomore guard Rishonda Napier did the same, scoring 13 points and 10 rebounds.

“There have been good signs of teamwork and fighting through,” Stein said. “But we have to box out and make our free throws, there is no excuse why we’re not.”

SIU is at a minor setback, playing each game with only one center. Junior center Alexus Patterson is the only player at that position. Stein said she wishes the Salukis had a backup center, but other players of different positions have to step up and play hard.

Pierre has been a huge competitor for SIU this season. She has scored in double digits in every game thus far. Pierre is working towards becoming a talkative player on the floor.

“I am kind of shy and coach wants me to get out of that,” Pierre said. “I know I need to be more vocal on the floor and that’s what I am trying to work on.”

SIU faced an intense battle in its second game against Austin Peay State University. They were just two seconds away from forcing overtime until the Lady Govs scored a basket in the last seconds of the game.

“As soon as they get to the point where things are becoming natural, I think we have a very good shot of doing something significant,” Stein said.

The lead changed 16 times, and the score tied 19 times. Macklin lead SIU with 20 points, and shot 10-11 from the free throw line. Pierre was the second leading scorer, with 13 points.

SIU shot fairly well from the free-throw line, making 75 percent of their attempts, but they struggled a bit from the 3-point line, shooting 25 percent.

“I can’t teach them my philosophy in every single day of practice,” Stein said. “You try, but in game scenarios something different comes up regardless of how much you think you’ve practiced or prepared them.”

The Salukis faced their first away game of the season as they traveled to Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne University. They suffered another loss, losing to IPFW 79-62. SIU only made eight of its 20 free throws count, and four of 17 three pointers from the outside.

In the most recent game against the University of Illinois in Champaign, SIU took its biggest loss of the season. The Illini defeated SIU 78-43 with four Illinois players scoring double digits.

SIU struggled to make outside shots, and scored 1-18 from the three-point line and 14-62 in field goals. Pierre earned her third double-double of the season with 10 points and 12 rebounds. Sophomore Azia Washington scored 8 points and 7 rebounds.

Washington said the team had a hard time shooting, even in warm-ups before the game.

“I don’t know if it was the different hoop or if it was just us not making any shots but we all just couldn’t knock them down,” she said.

Stein said changing a team who only won five games last year would be tough, but manageable. SIU is a team with only two seniors and four juniors, but no appointed leader.

“I don’t know who our leaders are on this team, and that’s a part of the problem,” Stein said. “We have to have someone that is the calming force, and we still have to find the one or two people who will step up and do that.”

The Salukis hope to capture their first win as they play Marshall University Wednesday in Hunington, West Virginia.

Symone Woolridge can be reached at [email protected] or ext. 536-3311 ext. 269