SIUE Cougars (1-6, 0-0 OVC)
at Michigan Wolverines (5-1, 0-0 B1G)
Wednesday, November 29, 2023 | 6:00 PM CT
Crisler Center | Ann Arbor, Michigan
LAST TIME OUT: KK Rodriguez, Macy Silvey, and Sofie Lowis paced the Cougars' offense with double-figure outings, but Middle Tennessee came out on top, 81-74, Sunday afternoon inside First Community Arena. SIUE concluded the contest shooting 45 percent (23-51) from the floor, 43 percent (7-16) from deep, and 21-26 at the free throw line. The Cougars outrebounded the Raiders 35-32 while scoring 13 points off second chance opportunities. Rodriguez led the Cougars with 28 points. She shot 7-14 from the floor, 1-2 from three-point territory, and 13-15 at the charity stripe. She also led SIUE with seven rebounds and four steals. Silvey and Lowis also contributed double-digit outings with 18 and 11, respectively. Olivia Clayton added nine points with five boards.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Rodriguez was named the Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Week on Nov. 28 for the second straight week after leading the nation averaging 30.5 points over two games. She averaged 6.5 rebounds, 4.0 steals and 3.5 assists per game while shooting .514 (18-of-35) from the field. She also received the honor on Nov. 21 after averaging 24.0 points, 4.0 assists, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.0 steals per game over two road games.
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 685-643 since the program began in 1974.
NATIONAL ATTENTION: Rodriguez garnered national attention from the Associated Press National Player of the Week, listing the graduate student as a player to keep an eye on. The St. Louis native ranks fourth in the nation in total points (161), fourth in free throw attempts (50), seventh in free throws made (41), ninth in three-point percentage (.552), and 10th in scoring average (23.0). Her 39 rebounds rank fourth in the Ohio Valley Conference while her .473 shooting percentage stacks up sixth. She also owns a .820 free throw percentage, good for third in the league.
DID IT AGAIN: Rodriguez finished with 28 points against Middle Tennessee Sunday, marking her sixth consecutive game in double-figures. She has finished with 28 or more in four contests.
SHOOTERS SHOOT: SIUE ranks second in the OVC averaging 8.0 three-pointers made per game. Rodriguez (16, 2nd), Macy Silvey (15, t-3rd), and Sofie Lowis (11, t-8th) rank in the top 10 of the league in three's made. The Cougars also rank second in scoring offense at 74.4 points per game.
SHARING IS CARING: The Cougars rank third in the OVC averaging 14.9 assists per contest. Rodriguez's 26 assists rank third in the league.
NOT IN OUR HOUSE: SIUE's 3.0 blocks per game lead the league. Halle Smith leads the Cougars and the conference with 10, good for 55th in the country. Clayton's 0.9 blocks per game ranks seventh in the OVC.
ATTACK THE GLASS: The Cougars' 36.3 rebounds per game stack up third in the OVC. Along with Rodriguez's 39 (4th), Silvey has collected 27 boards, stacking up eighth in the league. Ava Stoller is tied for ninth with 31 rebounds.
DO IT FOR FREE: SIUE leads the OVC in free throw percentage and ranks 28th in the NCAA at 78.6 percent (103-131). Rodriguez ranks third in the league at .820 while Stoller ranks fourth at .792.
SILVEY LINING: Silvey ranks third on the Cougars and 16th in the OVC averaging 10.7 points per game. The sophomore has finished in double-figures four times, including a season-high 18 points last time out against Middle Tennessee. Her .326 three-point percentage ranks seventh in the league. She concluded last season with 173 points, 44 rebounds, 24 assists, and 20 steals.
Stay connected with the Cougars all season long by following @SIUEWBB on X, @SIUEWBB on Instagram, and SIUE Women's Basketball on Facebook.
