Missouri State (12-7, 5-2 Missouri Valley Conference), which was predicted to win the conference at MVC media day Oct. 27, has won three straight after losing to Drake and Northern Iowa.
SIU could be in for a close one as the Bears and Salukis are nearly identical in almost every statistical category.
Like the Salukis, Missouri State has three players who average double-digit scoring. Led by senior guard Tyonna Snow (14.6 points), who ranks fourth in the conference in scoring, the Bears are tied for second with SIU averaging 69.2 points a game.
The post will be an important facet of the game as senior center Dyana Pierre will match up against senior forward Hillary Chvatal, who ranks fourth in the conference in rebounds with 7.