CARBONDALE, Ill.- Wichita State (12-8, 4-5) led the entire first half but couldn't hold off Southern Illinois (4-15, 3-6) as the Salukis rallied for a 63-56 win Saturday afternoon inside SIU Arena.

Chynna Turner led the Shockers with 18 points, her fourth-straight game in double-figures, while Jessica Diamond finished with 12 points. Christine Presswood led SIU with a game-high 23 points.

Offensively the Shockers got off to a good start, hitting six of their first 11 shots, led by six points from Diamond. The freshman came off the bench and hit her first four shots to lead the team in the early minutes.

After taking a five-point lead on a Turner 3-point play and Diamond jumper, the Salukis battled back with baskets by Katrina Swingler to cut the Shocker lead to one, 19-18, with 9:21 to play in the half.

WSU responded with a run that included Marisah Henderson's first 3-pointer in Valley play. Morgan Boyd ran the court and was found by Henderson for an easy transition layup, while Turner had an offensive rebound and putback in the run that gave the Shockers their largest lead of the half, 24-18.

Henderson's second 3-pointer on the left wing gave WSU a 32-29 lead heading into halftime. Turner led WSU with 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting in the half in which the Shockers led throughout. SIU tied the score six times, but each time WSU answered with a bucket.

The Shockers shot 51-percent for the half, while holding the Salukis to just 32-percent.

Unlike the first half, SIU came out firing and connected on four of its first six attempts to erase the WSU lead. The Salukis took their first lead of the game on a Presswood layup less than two minutes into the half.

A Presswood 3-pointer followed by a Teri Olver jumper gave the Salukis their largest lead of the game, 45-40, with just over 12 minutes to play.

But WSU would not go away and tied the game on a 3-point play by Sheena Johnson. Johnson drove the lane and was fouled hard from behind while making a layup, then converted the free-throw for the tie.

Behind Presswood, the Salukis took a seven point lead with three minutes to play. Turner connected twice inside and Jazimen Gordon hit a free-throw to cut the deficit to two, 58-56, with 41 seconds left.

But the Shockers would get no closer as the Salukis salted the game away at the free-throw line to take the 63-56 win.

The Shockers return home to face Drake on Fri., Feb. 5, at 7:05 p.m.