SIUE COUGARS (8-10, 1-7 OVC)
vs. TENNESSEE STATE (3-14, 2-5 OVC)
January 22, 2026 | 5:00 PM
Edwardsville, Ill. || First Community Arena

Player Notes

• Lauren Miller leads the team in scoring averaging 12.4 points and is followed by Kiyoko Proctor with 12.1. 
• Miller is 13th in the Ohio Valley Conference in scoring and assists. 
• Miller was named OVC Freshman of the week last week (Jan.13). 
• She has received this award three other times this season, Nov. 11, Nov. 25, Dec. 30. 
• Miller had 21 points at Western Illinois, marking her third 20-point game of the season.  
• She had a career-high 25 points and nine rebounds against EKU (Nov. 7). 
• Miller leads the team in field goal attempts (10.6) and field goals made (4.4).
• She ranks fourth in the OVC for free throw attempts (83).
• Proctor was named OVC Freshman of the week Dec. 2
• Proctor is seventh in the OVC in free throw percentage (81.4), and eighth in three-point FGs made (1.78)
• She has been the scoring leader for six games this season with a career-high of 26 points against Indiana State (Nov.19). 
• Proctor had a career-high of six rebounds against Morehead State (Jan. 3). 
• She leads the team in steals at 1.4 per game.
• Syanne Mohamed was named Ohio Valley Conference Newcomer of the week Dec. 16.  
• Mohammed has been the rebounding leader for 12 games this season, grabbing a career-high 13 boards against Southern Indiana (Jan.1). 
• She has had five games this season with 10 or more rebounds. 
• Mohammed ranks fourth in the OVC for rebounds per game (8.2) and fifth for total rebounds (139).
• Mohamed averages 2.9 offensive rebounds per game and 5.2 defensive rebounds, and leads the team with 11 blocked shots. 
• She also posted a career-high 17 points against UT Martin (Jan. 15), marking her first game as the scoring leader for the Cougars. 
• Mohamed leads the team with her field goal percentage (.558).
• Ava Gugliuzza had her first game this season with five three-pointers against Harris-Stowe (Dec. 14).
• This also marked her second game of the season as the scoring leader. 
• Macy Silvey has made 207 three-pointers in her career, ranking second in program history. 
• Silvey is second in the OVC for three-pointers attempted (122), good for 71st in the NCAA. 
• She is also second in three-pointers made (43) and three-pointers per game (2.39). 
• Her three-point percentage (35.2) ranks fourth in the OVC. 
• Adebukola Akomolafe is second on the team for total rebounds (98) and rebounds per game (5.5).
• Akomolafe posted a career-high nine rebounds against Missouri Baptist (Nov. 3).
• She also had a career-high 20 points against Indiana State (Nov. 19). 
• Akomolafe recorded a career-high four steals against Eastern Illinois (Dec. 18). 
• Kendal George made her season debut against USI (Jan. 1).
• She appeared again against Lindenwood where she scored nine points on three three-pointers. 
• Adriana Blazquez had a career-high 11 points against Lindenwood. 
• Blazquez and Sy'Rae Stemmons each got their first start for the Cougars against UT Martin (Jan. 15).
• Stemmons was a big part of the Cougar defense against Calumet College (Dec. 4) having six rebounds and three steals.
• She also had a career-high 13 points against Calumet College, marking her first game scoring in double digits. 

2025-26 Team

• The Cougars played TSU twice last season, with the first game (Jan.16) resulting in a 76-70 overtime win on the road. 
• The teams met again at SIUE (Feb.15) where TSU claimed the 77-58 win. 
• SIUE had its first OVC win of the season after a double-overtime battle with EIU (Dec. 19). 
• The cougars are 30-16 all-time in overtime games. 
• Seven of those contests have gone to double overtime, with the Cougars winning five. 
• Assistant coach Liz Doran served as the acting head coach against Southern Indiana (Jan.1) and Morehead State (Jan. 3)while head coach Sam Quigley-Smith welcomed her fifth child, Louis "Louie" Smith.   
• The Cougars have had seven games this season where they led at halftime going 7-2.
• The team is also averaging 37.3 rebounds which is +3.3 margin and fourth in the OVC.
• The Cougars are fourth in the OVC in defensive rebounds per game (35.4). 
• They are second in the OVC for scoring defense (58.9), placing 63rd nationally. 
• SIUE is second in three-point attempts per game (21.3) and fourth in three-pointers per game (6.5).
• This game marked the team's first double-overtime win since the 2006-07 season, when the Cougars defeated Southern Indiana 81-75.
• The Cougars claimed their seventh win of the season with an 83-36 victory over Harris-Stowe on Dec. 14. 
• They had a season high 52 rebounds against Harris-Stowe.
• The win marked just the third time in program history SIUE has recorded a margin of victory of 47 points.
• The Cougars closed out the nonconference schedule with a 7-3 record, their best start in the past 12 seasons. 
• The Cougars held Calumet College to seven points in the first half of the game on Dec. 4. 
• They also had a season-high 16 steals against the Crimson Wave. 
• SIUE had a single-game high of 45 rebounds against NIU (11/21).
• The Cougars had a season high 96 points against Missouri Baptist (11/3). 

BEYOND THE GAME: Freshman Kiyoko Proctor has had success on and off the court. Proctor and her father Gerald published a book in June of 2025: Two Voices One Goal: Chasing DI. The story details each of their points of view in Kiyoko's success as an athlete and the struggles she faced during her high school career. 

AT THE HELM: Samantha Quigley Smith is in her fifth season in charge of the Cougars and 13th season as a head coach. She owns a 40-99 record at SIUE and is 22-60 against conference opponents. All-time, Coach Smith is 251-260. 

PRESEASON HONORS: The preseason Ohio Valley Conference Poll predicted a 10th place finish for the Cougars tied with Morehead State. Lindenwood was selected as regular season champions with six-first place votes. Seniors Macy Silvey and Jaiden Bryant were named to the OVC's players to watch list. 

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Silvey is playing her fourth season at SIUE after finishing third in three-point field goals in 2024-25. She averaged 2.3 per game. She appeared in all 29 games for the Cougars shooting 35 percent from the field and 36 percent from three-point range. Bryant will be playing her second season with SIUE after transferring from Missouri State. Last season she started 26 games for the team, being the rebounding leader for eight games. She also was second on the team in rebounds averaging 4.1 per game.

A NEW LOOK: The 2025-26 roster features seven new additions: four freshman (Kiyoko Proctor, Lauren Miller, Sy'Rae Stemmons and Kaitlin Cassidy) alongside one sophomore (Adriana Blazquez), and two graduate students (Adubukola Akomolafe and Syanne Mohammed).

TRANSFER TALK: Samantha Quigley-Smith adds three transfers to her roster. Blazquez joins the Cougars after one season at Murray State where she appeared in 18 games as a freshman (2024-25). Mohammed previously was at Goshen College from 2021-25. There she appeared in 115 games averaging 9.6 points per game. Akomolafe comes from VCU from 2021-25, during her junior year she was shooting 47 percent from the field.