Four Salukis scored in double figures as Southern Illinois opened the 2006-07 Missouri Valley Conference season with a 10-point win over Wichita State, 74-64.  Carlai Moore scored a game-high 16 points, and was joined in double figures by Debbie Burris’ 14 points, Jayme Sweere’s 13 points and Jasmine Gibson’s 11.

Southern Illinois improves to 5-7, 1-0 the win over WSU (5-6, 0-1), Thursday evening inside Charles Koch Arena.

WSU's Frannie Vathauer’s had a career-high 14 points, which tied Kiki Stephens for the team lead, while Antionette Wells poured in 13.

SIU shot better than 50 percent from the field, including a 40 percent clip from three-point range after shooting 57 percent from long-range in the second half. The Salukis outrebounded the Shockers 32-29.

The Salukis came out firing, scoring the first six points of the game on 3-of-4 shooting. Stephens responded to end the drought with just under 18 minutes left to cut the Saluki lead to 6-2.

SIU's defensive pressure forced three early Shocker turnovers, as the Salukis extended the lead to 10-3 by the first media timeout. The Shockers came out of the timeout on a 5-0 run of their own thanks to another Stephens basket and a Frannie Vathauer three-pointer and Vathauer's second three-pointer of the night gave the Shockers their first lead, 11-10, with just over 14 minutes remaining in the first half.

The teams then traded baskets, and the lead, over the next several minutes before a pair of Sweere free throws extended the Salukis lead to 22-17 with 7:08 left in the first.

A Taylor Steven three-pointer with 4:35 left brought the Shockers back within two, 26-24, which was as close as WSU would get down the stretch as SIU led WSU, 34-30 at the break.

SIU limited the Shockers to an 11-for-30 effort from the field in the first half, while Wichita State limited the Salukis to no three-pointers in the first frame.

The Salukis outscored the Shockers 9-6 in the early part of the second half to pull out to a 43-36 lead with 17:16 left in the game. SIU tied its largest lead of the game, eight points, after a Burris three-pointer gave SIU a 46-38 lead with just over 16 minutes left in regulation.

After SIU extended its lead to as many as 10 on two separate occasions Vathauer connected on her third three-pointer of the night to pull the Shockers to within 50-43 with 12:55 left in the half. Vathauer's ninth point of the night marked a career high for the Barnes, Kan., native.

Back-to-back three-pointers by Vathauer and McDonnell closed the SIU lead to just one, but Erica Smith answered with a three of her own to push the Salukis back out to a 53-49 lead with just under 10 minutes left in the game. Erin Pauk's first points of the game came on a three-pointer that marched the Salukis out to a 61-52 lead with 7:20 left in the second.

The Shockers gradually cut into the lead, and following a SIU timeout and a Stephens basket, the Shockers trailed, 61-58, with 4:00 left in regulation. The teams traded baskets yet again over the next two minutes before two Smith free throws gave the Salukis a 65-60 lead with two minutes left.

Pauk sunk two free throws to extend SIU's lead to seven, but Antionette Wells brought the Shockers back to within four with a lay up and free throw. The Salukis finished the last minute of play going 5-6 from the line to seal the 74-64 win.