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Salukis on the road again

SIU faces Tennessee Tech tonight in fifth straight road contest

When asked about last year's match-up with Tennessee Tech, Katie Berwanger gets a little confused.

Having played the Golden Eaglettes every year since the 1990-1991 season, the SIU women's basketball team is very familiar with its foe to the South. However, so many games can lead to a few mix-ups.

"I've been here five years," said Berwanger, who is averaging nearly a double-double for the Dawgs. "That's a lot of Tennessee Tech games."

But one particular game comes to the front of the senior forward's mind when forced to ponder the subject.

Berwanger remembers trailing Tech by 12 at the half and being forced to press in the second half to make a run. The pressure, combined with the Salukis' impressive play, steadily cut the margin before they finally took the lead and the game 70-66.

"It was a huge thing for us just to know that we could rally and come back even when we were behind," Berwanger recalled, still not knowing which year it was.

The game Berwanger was able to recollect happened to be last year's showdown, one of the best in recent years.

This year's version is sure to be just as competitive with both teams in search of that confidence-building first victory of the season.

Today's 7 p.m. tip-off in Cookeville, Tenn., is of particular importance for SIU (0-4) because the non-conference schedule doesn't get any easier from here on out. The Dawgs face DePaul, Southern Mississippi, Northwestern and Saint Louis before opening the Missouri Valley Conference season at home Jan. 3 versus Drake.

"I think it's real important," Berwanger said. "Right now we haven't gotten a win, so we've got to be hungry for it. I think that's going to be key."

SIU was able to take advantage down low last season, out-rebounding the Golden Eaglettes 40-34 on the way to the victory. Senior forward Jodi Heiden contributed 15 points and 11 rebounds off the bench to lead the Dawgs to victory, and it could be her once again who steps up tonight.

Heiden has put up solid numbers thus far, averaging 8.3 points and 4.3 rebounds per game as a reserve. She posted 13 points and five boards against Middle Tennessee and provided solid minutes for the Dawgs at the Long Island Classic in New York.

SIU head coach Lori Opp also plans to attack Tech (0-3) down low with fellow senior bangers Berwanger and Tiffany Crutcher.

"We were able to go inside against them last year and be successful," Opp said. "We should also be able to do that against them this year."

Despite last year's success, this certainly will not be an easy task. The Golden Eaglettes return all five starters from last year's 12-17 team and retain the same intangibles that give them their identity.

Tech is a very fundamentally sound team that takes advantage of the opportunities that teams give it. Lacking size, the Golden Eaglettes typically shoot a lot of threes.

"They play very smart basketball," Opp said. "That's probably my biggest concern is that we just have to settle down and play."

But even more so than that, Opp just wants to see her team improve with each game, and that means cutting down on turnovers and playing 40 minutes of inspired basketball.

"Of course we'd like to win the game, but if your sole focus is on winning, and your kids don't win, then they feel like failures," Opp said. "So our goal is to steadily improve, and then the wins will come."