From the Dawg Pound
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[Women's Basketball wins two-in-a-row. The SIU Women's Basketball Team had two victories last week beating Wichita State in overtime, 76-66 and Missouri State, 69-58. Jasmine Gibson scored 20 points Thursday, Jan. 29 to help SIU snap an eight-game losing streak. Five Salukis were in double figures as SIU improved to 5-12 and got their first win in MVC action. Erica Smith had a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds and Kaci Bailey scored 10 points and had a career-best five assists.
Saturday, Jan. 31 the Lady Salukis won again with a 69-58 victory over Missouri State. SIU had a 20-3 first half run to get things off to a great start and made their free-throws when it counted to improve to 6-12 overall and 2-7 in the MVC. Seniors Jasmine Gibson and Erica Smith led the Dawgs for the second-straight game. Gibson scored a team-high 23 points and grabbed seven rebounds while Smith accomplished her second-straight double-double with 20 points and 12 rebounds.
Saluki Men split for the week with a great win over Missouri State and loss against Evansville. SIU won 68-57 Thursday, Jan. 29 at home against the Missouri State Bears to improve to 10-11 overall and 5-5 in the MVC. In the process senior Bryan Mullins became the second player in MVC history to accumulate 500 assists and 250 career steals. Mullins also popped the only Saluki three-pointer of the game to start a 12-1 run which helped to put the Bears away.
Against Evansville Saturday, Jan. 31 the Dawgs had far too many turnovers to beat the Aces as SIU fell, 60-54 on the road. SIU (10-12, 5-6) was winning at the half 27-24 but let too many turnovers and missed too many too many free throws as Evansville pulled ahead for the conference win.
SIU Men 9th in the nation in 3-Point shooting. The SIU Men's Basketball team ranks 9th in the nation in 3-point shooting with a 39.9 percent average. There are 343 NCAA Division I teams. California ranks at the top with 46.9 percent.
SIU freshman Kevin Dillard leads the MVC in 3-Point shooting. Dillard leads the Salukis in scoring with a 12.7 ppg average. He is also the highest scoring freshman in the MVC. His average of 48.7 percent is the best in the league.
Mullins is 33rd in the nation in assists. Through games as of Jan. 25 SIU's Bryan Mullins ranks 33rd in the nation in assists and he leads the conference with a 5.6 apg average.
Saluki Men's schedule strength in toughest in the MVC. Nationally the Dawgs have the 35th toughest schedule. In the non-conference schedule, the Salukis have played Duke (1), UCLA (40), Saint Mary's (52) and Western Kentucky (78).
Track and Field wins McDonald's Invitational. The SIU Men's and Women's Track and Field Teams both won their divisions at the 2009 McDonald's Invitational Meet held at the SIU Recreation Center. The men scored 169 points and the women earned 200 points in the victories. The men had three event titles and 15 top-five finishes while the women won five events and had 19 top-five finishes.
Saluki Swimming and Diving teams sweep Evansville. The SIU Swim teams won all events against the Evansville Aces Sat. Jan. 31 at the SIU Recreation Center. It was Senior Day at SIU and eight seniors were honored prior to the meet.
SIU won the women's 200 yard medley relay with a time of 1:49.17. The men also won with their 1:35.25 performance. Jennifer Kwok won the 1650 freestyle with her time of 17:37.47. Matt Parsons also won the men's race in 16:17.72.
In diving, Emily Gable won the 1 meter and 3 mater dive and Justin Ruszkowski won the same events. Emily Duerringer (53.25) and Anthony Bousquet (48.07) each won in the 100 yard freestyle events.
SIU will host the MVC Swimming and Diving Championships Feb. 12-14 at the SIU recreation Center.
Bianca Stuart is MVC Women's Field Athlete of the Week. Stuart, who is from Nassau, Bahamas, won her third consecutive long jump title at the Carle/Health Alliance Invitational Jan. 24with her 20-06.25 performance. This jump qualified her provisionally for the NCAA Meet. She finished first among 16 other competitors. Stuart ranks second among all other jumpers in the nation currently. In the MVC Stuart holds the top-two marks in the league this season.