Box Score EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – Four SIUE women's basketball players scored in double figures Wednesday, and the Cougars collected a 75-57 triumph over visiting Sacramento State at the Vadalabene Center.
Raven Berry led SIUE with 15 points and 14 rebounds. It was the senior's 26th career double-double as she shot 7 of 13 from the field.
Tierny Austin pumped in 14 points followed by season highs of 12 from Courtney Kenner and 10 off the bench from Ashley Capotosto.
"I thought Capotosto came in the first half and gave us that spark and then it was contagious for everyone else. She did a great job for us," said SIUE Head Coach Paula Buscher.
For the third time this season, SIUE came back from a first-half double-digit deficit. The Cougars, which improved to 5-4, were down 12 points in the first half after a barrage of three-pointers from Sacramento State, 4-3.
The Hornets hit their first four three-pointers and opened up a 27-15 lead with 9:06 to play in the first half on a three-pointer by Fantasia Hillard who scored 14 for the game. Sacramento State's hot hand was Sadie Clements who hit five three-pointers all in the first half. She finished with a game-high 17 points, all of which came in the opening 20 minutes.
The Cougars were composed even after being down. Despite Sacramento State's full court pressure, SIUE committed just four turnovers in the first half and worked its way back into the game by pounding the ball into the paint. SIUE outscored Sacramento State 18-6 over the final nine minutes of the first half.
It would be a three-pointer by Jazmin Hill that would give SIUE its first lead of the game with 33 seconds left in the first half. Clements tied the game on a bucket with 20 second left. Both teams went to the locker rooms for halftime tied 33-33.
"To respond from the first half deficit was huge for us. They got the lead, but then you just have to chip away. At halftime we said that it's a 20-minute game, and if we control the boards, we'll have a shot. I think we did a great job of that," Buscher said.
Sacramento State kept it close for the first 10 minutes before SIUE erupted for a 21-4 run over the next nine minutes of the game. The Hornets made just one field goal in the final 10 minutes of the game and were 1 of 18 from the field during that span.
"The one thing that Sacramento State does a great job is getting up and down the floor, and I thought our team did a great job with the tempo. There was a spurt there where we got caught in the transition game, but we made them slow it down and play defense. And that made a big difference for us," Buscher said.
SIUE grabbed a season-high 50 rebounds and easily won the battle of the boards by 15. The Cougars also worked the ball inside for 46 points in the paint.
"We had 46 points in the paint which was huge. We knew that if we got the ball inside that they wouldn't have an answer for us. Give credit to both our post players for finishing around the basket and to our guards for staying poised to work the ball around and get it in there," Buscher said.
One key moment was a three-point play by Kiara Conner with 5:01 left in the game that kept the Cougars with a double-digit lead. The Cougars had just missed a pair of shots and got their own rebounds. Conner then moved in with the left hand and was fouled as she made the basket.
"I thought that three-point play was huge," said Buscher.
SIUE has a short time to rest before welcoming a return game against IPFW. The Cougars defeated the Mastodons 74-67 in Fort Wayne, Ind., to open the season. Buscher said the Cougars will have their work cut out against an athletic IPFW
"We're going to have to step up and play well on the defensive end," said Buscher.
