SIUE Cougars (2-7, 0-0 OVC)
at SIU Carbondale Salukis (3-4, 0-0 MVC)
Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2023 | 11:00 AM CT
Banterra Center | Carbondale, Illinois
LAST TIME OUT: KK Rodriguez led SIUE's scoring with a career-high 34 points to run past Northern Illinois, 89-79, Sunday afternoon inside First Community Arena. The Cougars grabbed the opening two points of the contest and never looked back, holding their lead for the entirety of the contest in SIUE's second win of the season. Overall, the Cougars shot 48 percent (30-63) from the floor, 50 percent (11-22) from three-point range, and 82 percent (18-22) at the free throw line. SIUE outrebounded the Huskies 42-32 overall and 11-9 on the offensive glass. Sofie Lowis added 18 points, all of which came from beyond the arc, while Ava Stoller contributed 14, tying a season best mark.
SERIES HISTORY: Wednesday marks the seventh meeting between the Cougars and Salukis dating back to 2011. The series is tied 3-3 with SIUE taking two of the last three meetings. The Cougars also own a 2-1 record in Carbondale.
VIDEO GAME NUMBERS: Rodriguez ranks third in the NCAA in total points (207), third in free throw attempts (63), third in free throws made (53), ninth in scoring average (23.0), and seventh in three-point percentage (.541). Her 47 rebounds and .482 shooting percentage rank fourth in the Ohio Valley Conference. Her 33 assists stack up third in the league.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Rodriguez earned her third consecutive OVC Player of the Week honor on Dec. 5 after scoring 46 points over two contests at Michigan and versus Northern Illinois. She scored 12 against the Wolverines before tallying a career-high 34 in SIUE's win over NIU Sunday. Rodriguez finished the week averaging 23.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.0 steals per game. She also received the honor on Nov. 21 and Nov. 28.
DO IT FOR FREE: SIUE leads the OVC and ranks 30th in the country with a .775 free throw percentage. SIUE also leads the conference in free throw attempts (178) and free throws made (138). Stoller leads the Cougars with a .848 percentage at the stripe. Rodriguez's .841 percentage stacks up fifth in the league.
SHOOTERS SHOOT: SIUE ranks second in the OVC with a .369 three-point percentage. The Cougars have converted on 198 shots from deep to lead the league. Three players appear in the top-10 of the league in three-pointers made: Rodriguez (20, 2nd), Lowis (19, t-3rd), and Macy Silvey (17, 7th). SIUE also ranks second in scoring offense averaging 74.3 points per contest.
NOT IN OUR HOUSE: SIUE ranks fifth in the league averaging 2.9 blocks per game. Halle Smith leads the Cougars with 10, good for second in the conference. Olivia Clayton has tallied nine, tied for third in the league.
ATTACK THE GLASS: The Cougars have collected 322 rebounds, good for second in the OVC. SIUE's 94 rebounds on the offensive glass also rank second in the conference. Along with Rodriguez's 47 (4th), Stoller has grabbed 43 rebounds, good for eighth in the league. Silvey's 41 rebounds rank ninth in the league.
DID IT AGAIN: Rodriguez finished with a career-high 34 points against Northern Illinois Sunday, marking her eighth consecutive game scoring in double-figures. She has finished with 30 or more in four contests. Her 34 points are the tied for the 18th most in Division I this season.
LEAN ON LOWIS: Lowis has scored in double-figures in three straight games, averaging 14.3 points during that span. Her 9.6 points per game ranks second on SIUE. She owns a .388 shooting percentage (19-49) from beyond the arc. Against NIU, she set a new career high with six three-pointers. Last season, she ranked second on SIUE in total points (343) and assists (68).
SILVEY LINING: Silvey ranks third on the Cougars and 25th in the OVC averaging 9.2 points per game. The sophomore has finished in double-figures four times, including a season-high 18 points against Middle Tennessee. The guard is averaging 4.6 rebounds per contest and has collected five or more in seven of SIUE's nine games. She concluded last season with 173 points, 44 rebounds, 24 assists, and 20 steals.
AVA SCORER: Stoller ranks fourth on the Cougars averaging 9.0 points per game, including 14 points last time out against NIU. She is averaging 4.8 rebounds per game, good for second on the squad and 12th in the OVC. Stoller joins SIUE this season from St. Petersburg HS where she led the Green Devil's scoring efforts with 25.5 points and 4.4 rebounds as a senior.
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 686-644 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.
