The Salukis (11-6, 4-1 Missouri Valley Conference) made a season-high 13 3-pointers in a 74-56 win against Evansville (2-14, 1-4).
Senior guard Cartaesha Macklin opened the scoring with a layup 30 seconds into the game, giving her sole possession of first place in school history in points scored.
The Salukis jumped to a 9-2 lead in the game's first three and a half minutes. A 7-0 Purple Aces run over the next three and a half minutes tied the game.
SIU scored six unanswered points after a timeout with three minutes left, but a buzzer-beating 3-pointer by junior guard Sara Dickey cut the Saluki lead to 15-14.