Southern Illinois University
2-0
Saint Louis
0-1
Men's Basketball Beats Saint Louis, 69-64
11/19/2001 | 12:00:00 | Men's Basketball
Nov 19, 2001
ST. LOUIS, Mo.- Southern Illinois never trailed in the game as it swept into the Savvis Center and knocked off Conference USA foe Saint Louis, 69-64, Monday night.
Kent Williams poured in 22 points to lead SIU, which improved to 2-0 on the season.
"We have high goals for this season," head coach Bruce Weber said afterward. "I told our guys we should win this game."
It was a game of runs, and every time Saint Louis threatened, the Salukis answered with a scoring flurry of their own.
With the game tied at four, the Salukis went on a 10-0 run, keyed by a pair of 3-pointers by Kent Williams, to take a 14-4 lead with 12:50 remaining in the first half.
The Saluki defense was stingy early, holding Saint Louis to just three field goals in the first 11 minutes of the game as SIU built a 28-20 halftime lead.
In the second half, Saint Louis came as close as four points at 39-35, but the Salukis answered with a 9-0 run to build their biggest lead of the game, 48-35, with 10:00 left in the game.
The Billikens chipped away, however, cutting the deficit to six, 48-42, with seven minutes remaining. But a layup and tip-in by Darren Brooks, plus buckets by Williams and Jermaine Dearman re-established the Salukis double-digit lead, 54-42.
Saint Louis made a late run to close the gap to single-digits, but free throws down the stretch by Brad Korn, Darren Brooks and Marcus Belcher sealed the victory.
The Salukis also dominated the game on the boards, 44-26. At halftime, SIU owned a 24-9 edge in rebounding.
"Some people have asked me if we're putting too much pressure on the team," Weber said. "I asked our kids after practice this week, and no one said anything. They've just been focusing on making plays."
Notes: Southern Illinois will play Iowa State on Thanksgiving Day at 2:30 CT. Williams surpassed a career milestone at SIU as he joined the 1,000-point club. He now has 1,001 career points.
