Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Southern Illinois University
1-0
George Mason
0-2
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| George Mason | 29 | 45 | 74 |
| Southern Illinois | 36 | 47 | 83 |
Salukis Win Season Opener
11/24/2002 | 12:00:00 | Men's Basketball
Nov 24, 2002
CARBONDALE, Ill.-- Southern Illinois fought off a scrappy George Mason team to claim an 83-74 victory in the season opener at SIU Arena Sunday afternoon.
The Salukis (1-0) never trailed in the game, but the Patriots (0-2) stayed within single digits throughout most of the second half.
Stetson Hairston led SIU with 18 points and was joined in double figures by Jermaine Dearman (17), Sylvester Willis (16) and Kent Williams (15). Dearman surpassed 1,000 points in his career and now has 1,013.
Southern jumped on top early, sprinting to an 11-point lead, 18-7, which turned out to be SIU's biggest lead of the game. The run featured 3-pointers by Hairston and Williams and was capped off by a jumper from Bryan Turner at 13:38 remaining in the first half.
"Everyone made key hoops at different times, but we're still not totally in sync," Saluki coach Bruce Weber said. "Defensively, we'd play really good for 25 or 30 seconds, and then we'd break down and give them an easy shot or make a dumb foul."
The Patriots battled back, cutting the deficit to 28-25 on a 3-pointer by Trent Wurtz at 6:20. The Salukis regrouped, though, and took a 36-29 lead into halftime.
The second half was a scoring-fest for both sides as SIU shot 75 percent from the field, and George Mason made 55 percent of its shots.
The Salukis pushed out to a 49-40 lead on a breakaway dunk by Hairston, but the Patriots rallied back and eventually tied the game, 55-55, on a jumper by Jai Lewis at 11:39.
Southern gradually extended its lead during the next four minutes during a 12-4 run that featured 3-pointers by Williams and Hairston, a pull-up jumper by Dearman and a jumper by Willis. After being held scoreless in the first half, Willis aggressively took the ball to the basket and poured in all 16 of his points in the final 20 minutes.
"Coach told us it was going to be a war out there," Willis said. "They kept fighting, but we were able to get over that last hump."
George Mason came as close as six points, 76-70, on a dunk by Raoul Heinen at 3:35. But Willis answered with a jumper on SIU's next possession.
The Patriots' Mark Davis finished as the game's leading scorer with 24 points.
SIU returns to action Wednesday night when it hosts Colorado State, a team that handed the Salukis their worst defeat last season.
Postgame Quotes
F Jermaine Dearman:
"I got off to a slow start in the first. I think I was trying to do too much and was rushing my shots. At halftime, I told myself to relax and let the game come to me, and in the second half, that's what I did."
"We have to be prepared for Colordo State. We need to get some revenge for last year by beating them when they come into our home territory."
G Kent Williams:
"In the first half, I had more open looks and took advantage of those. In the second half, I tried to get the ball to our post more and distribute the ball better."
"We knew coming into the game that it was going to be a battle and I think we were prepared for that. Our drive comes from defensive stops. We had to get shut downs on defense to get out momentum going. We have to take pride in our defense before we can produce a good offense."
C Sylvester Willis:
"In the first half, I got myself into foul trouble, and that took me out of my game. The second half, I knew I had to take advantage of my oppurtunites and I wanted to help the team anyway I could."
Head Coach Bruce Weber:
"I probably put too many subs in at one time during the first half. That's my fault.We need to develop our bench more, and the guys know that they have to prove themselves in practice to get some PT."
"I told them last night (the regular season) is different. In exhibition, everyone is going to play. Now you have to earn it in the game. Now it's our time to be psychologists and help the guys on the bench feel good about themselves.
"I thought Blake (Schoen) did a good job for us and really hustled and made some good plays."and "Josh Warren did a good job even though his numbers don't show it."
"(Dearman) missed easy shots in the first half, but in the second half he and Slyvester (Willis) did a really good job. I was very happy with his rebounding."
"I told our seniors at halftime not to try to win the game themselves, just to let the game come."
