EDWARDSVILLE, Ill- SIUE opens the new year with Western Illinois at First Community Arena, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025. Tip off is set for 5:00 pm. Western Illinois leads 9-5 in the all-time series. The Cougars are 3-4 when playing at home. 

LAST TIME OUT: The Cougars last played Dec. 21, 2024, against SEMO, resulting in a 67-61 loss. KK Rodriguez had her first 20-point game of the season against SEMO. This also marked her sixth 20-point game of her career. The Cougars and Redhawks each had 62 total shots from the field. SIUE made 30.6 percent (19-62) of their shots overall with 23.5 percent (8-34) of them being from the three-point range. 
Ava Gugliuzza had her third game of the season with four three-pointers in a single-game. SEMO made 33.9 percent (21-62) of their shots overall, with 28.6 percent (8-28) of their shots being from the three-point range. 

TEAM RANK: SIUE leads the OVC in Bench points per game (27.9), this is also good for 36th in the NCAA. They also lead the OVC in three-point attempts (22.6).

SCORING LEADER: Brianna Wooldridge currently leads the team in scoring averaging 9.3 points a game. Wooldridge is shooting .449 from the field (33-74). She is also shooting .705 from the line. 

REBOUND: Wooldridge averages 5.1 rebounds a game. Ava Stoller follows with 4.2. Macy Silvey averages 3.5, Halle Smith with 3.4 and Ava Gugliuzza with 3.2. 

THE RETURN: KK Rodriguez had 20-points against SEMO, marking her second game of the season in double-digits. This also made her the second player on the team to have a 20-point game during the 2024-25 season. She made her return to play Dec. 4 against Middle Tennessee after missing 21 games in the 2023-24 season. She came out hot opening the scoring for the Cougars, totaling 7 points and six rebounds over 14 minutes.

SILVEY LINING: Silvey currently leads the team in three points made (21) averaging 1.9 per game, this also good for fifth in the OVC. 

HALLE BUCKETS: Smith recorded her third 20-point game against Evansville Dec.8. Her 24 points was a new career-high and, the first 20-point game for a Cougar this season. Smith is shooting .440 from the field (22-50).

SHEEHAN-DLES: Molly Sheehan has had 24 assists so far this season averaging 2.2 a game. She had her fourth game in double-digits this season against Little Rock which also good for her first game this season as the scoring leader. 

AT THE HELM: Samantha Quigley Smith is in her fourth season in charge of the Cougars and 12th season as a head coach. She owns a 29-74 record at SIUE and is 17-39 against conference opponents. All-time, Smith is 213-170.