GAME 9
SIUE Cougars (4-4, 0-0 OVC)
vs. Illinois State Redbirds (2-6, 0-0 Missouri Valley)
Sat., Dec. 11, 1 p.m. CT
Edwardsville, Ill. (First Community Arena)

Video: ESPN+
Radio: WSIE FM 88.7 the Sound (Randy Moehlman)
Audio: SIUECougarNetwork.com
Live Stats: SIUEStats.com

All-Time Series: ISU leads 4-3
First Meeting: Jan. 4, 2010
Result: L, 70-66
Last Meeting: Dec. 16, 2019
Result: L, 74-53
Current Series Streak: ISU W1

OPENING TIP
• SIUE is tied for second place in the Ohio Valley Conference standings. The Cougars have wins over teams from the Big Ten (Illinois), Horizon (Purdue Fort Wayne), Big East (Butler) and the Atlantic 10 (Saint Louis).
• Gabby Nikitinaite's 22 points against Saint Louis is the most scored by a Cougar in a single game this season.
• Thursday's win over Saint Louis marked the first time in eight games this season that the Cougars have posted a better field goal percentage than their opponents.
• The Cougars have two players on 1,000 career points alert. Allie Troeckler needs 39 points. Nikitinaite needs 46. She had three seasons at Northern Illinois and one at George Washington previously.
• The Cougars' 96-93 loss to Western Illinois Tuesday is the most points scored in a game by both teams since the Cougars lost 99-94 at Missouri-St. Louis on Jan. 22, 1990.
•  SIUE has now had two OVC Newcomer of the Week awards. Jaida Hampton won two weeks ago. Gabby Nikitinaite earned her award this past week with 18 points against Missouri.
• Troeckler recorded her first double-double of the season with 17 points and 13 rebounds against Western Illinois. She collected career high in rebounds (13) and assists (7) against Western Illinois.
• Troeckler is 32nd nationally and leads the OVC in steals per game (2.88). She had five steals in both the Illinois and Butler games.
• SIUE has featured the same starting lineup in its first eight games. Troeckler leads the team in minutes played per game (31.4).
• The Cougars held Saint Louis to a season-low one three-pointer made.