SIUE Cougars (1-3, 0-0 OVC)
at Eastern Michigan Eagles (0-2, 0-0 MAC)
Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023 | 2:30 PM CT
Gervin GameAbove Center| Ypsilanti, Michigan
LAST TIME OUT: SIUE women's basketball trailed by as many as many as 16 points in the fourth quarter and cut its deficit to four, but Illinois State escaped with an 90-86 victory on Wednesday at CEFCU Arena. The Cougars didn't roll over, outscoring the Redbirds 36-27 in the fourth. SIUE concluded the game 38 percent (30-79) from the field, 13-41 from deep, and 13-20 at the free throw line. The Redbirds shot 48 percent (28-58) while capitalizing on 25 of 36 opportunities at the charity stripe. Illinois State outrebounded the Cougars 53-35 in the game.
DID IT AGAIN: Graduate guard KK Rodriguez paced the Cougars' scoring with 31 points last time out at Illinois State, her second consecutive game with 30 or more. Her seven three pointers in the contest are tied for second in program history and are tied for the fourth most in the nation this season. The guard's 83 total points through the first four games are tied for seventh in the NCAA.
LOWIS STEPPED UP: Sofie Lowis put together her first double-digit scoring effort of the season and the 21st of her career with 19 against Illinois State. The guard scored 11 of the Cougars' 36 points in the fourth quarter while tying a career high mark with five three pointers made.
SERIES HISTORY: Saturday marks the second meeting between the Cougars and Eagles dating back to last season. EMU downed the Cougars on Nov. 15, 2022, 71-62 inside First Community Arena.
SHOOTERS SHOOT: SIUE ranks second in the OVC averaging 7.2 three pointers made per game. Rodriguez (8, 1st), Lowis (7, t-3rd), and Macy Silvey (7, t-3rd) rank in the top three of the league in three's made.
SHARING IS CARING: The Cougars rank second in the OVC this season averaging 14.8 assists per contest. Rodriguez's 15 assists rank second while Ava Stoller's 14 are tied for fourth.
NOT IN OUR HOUSE: SIUE's 3.2 blocks per game rank second in the league. Halle Smith leads the Cougars and the conference with six.
ATTACK THE GLASS: The Cougars' 38.3 rebounds per game stack up second in the OVC. Rodriguez's 25 lead the squad.
AVA SCORER: Stoller ranks second on the Cougars and 16th in the OVC averaging 11.3 points per game. The guard has finished in double-figures in three out of four contests. Stoller joins SIUE this season from St. Petersburg HS where she led the Green Devils' scoring efforts with 25.5 points and 4.4 rebounds as a senior.
SILVEY LINING: Silvey ranks third on the Cougars averaging 10.3 points per game. The sophomore has finished in double-figures over her last three outings. She concluded last season with 173 points, 44 rebounds, 24 assists, and 20 steals.
DO IT FOR FREE: SIUE leads the league in free throw percentage at 76.8 percent (63-82). Rodriguez ranks sixth in the league with an 80.8 percentage at the charity stripe.
50TH SEASON OF WOMEN'S BASKETBALL: The 2023-24 season marks the 50th season of women's basketball at SIUE. The Cougars own an all-time record of 685-640 since the program began in 1974.
Stay connected with the Cougars all season long by following @SIUEWBB on X, @SIUEWBB on Instagram, and SIUE Women's Basketball on Facebook.
