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Salukis still winless

The SIU women are seeking their first victory of the season against yet another non-conference opponent, Southeast Missouri State.

For first-year SIU head coach Dana Eikenberg, the schedule has been grueling thus far with losses to Big Ten teams Iowa and Wisconsin. Northern Illinois and Tennessee Tech also rolled over the Salukis. SEMO will likely look to pounce on an SIU team that has suffered four straight defeats.

Under the guidance of second-year head coach B.J. Smith, SEMO has notched a 3-1 record this season, with the only loss coming from an 84-62 Oklahoma trouncing.

After finishing second in the Ohio Valley Conference last season, SEMO has four starters returning and has been scoring 86 points a game. Meanwhile, the Salukis have been scoring substantially lower at 50.2 points a game.

SEMO's offensive abilities rest largely in the hands of three juniors who are averaging double digits through the early season.

Center Tatiana Conceicao, forward Natalie Purcell and guard Brandi Russia seem unstoppable. Conceicao, a native of Sao Paulo, Brazil, leads the Otahkians with almost 20 points and 4.5 steals a game. Purcell has chipped in with 14.4 points, and Russia rounds out the trio with 12.3.

Eikenberg said containing the Otahkians isn't much of an option. She cited their speed, strength and overall talent. Eikenberg said limiting SEMO's opportunities is a more attainable goal.

"We've got to play to our strengths," Eikenberg said. "We hope to work hard on the boards, and we've got to limit them scoring off our turnovers."

The Salukis pulled down 17 offensive boards against Tennessee Tech last Sunday, but Eikenberg said the team didn't capitalize on those opportunities by driving back in for a basket.

Although the Saluki defense will need to rise to the challenge of stopping SEMO, SIU has a couple offensive weapons of its own.

Senior guards Danette Jones and Daphney Desamours are providing the brunt of the Salukis' offense, easily outscoring their teammates. The two have combined to score more than half of SIU's 50 points a game.

Jones is scoring almost 18 points a game, thanks largely to 14 bombs from beyond the arc. Desamours has contributed an average of 13 points every game.

Despite Jones being named to the all-tournament team in the Hawkeye Challenge for her performances against Iowa and Northern Illinois, she is more concerned with winning some games rather than collecting personal accolades.

"It doesn't mean a whole lot when we don't win ball games," Jones said. "We still have a lot of work to do."

Jones and Eikenberg both mentioned the need to stop opponents from putting together big runs. It happened to the Salukis against Tennessee Tech toward the end of the first half when the Golden Eaglelettes scored 10 unanswered points in the final three minutes. Should SIU begin to feel sluggish against a SEMO team scoring 86 points per game, things could get ugly in a hurry.

Eikenberg said some drills in practice have been focusing on keeping the Salukis' momentum up even after a mistake is made. It's a mental aspect of the game SIU is still trying to work the kinks out of.

"There's so much for us to learn," Eikenberg said. "We're going to be working out kinks all year."

Fortunately, SEMO is but one team in a string of non-conference foes SIU will face for the next month. The Salukis don't have a conference game until New Year's Eve against Creighton.

Eikenberg said non-conference and conference games are separate junctions but with the same goals in mind - getting better overall and learning the game of basketball.

By February, Eikenberg is looking forward to a team that has improved and SEMO is another step in that direction.

"If we're not getting better then somebody better come check me out," Eikenberg said. "Then I'm not doing the right thing."