Southern Illinois University
25-6
Bradley
9-20
Salukis Advance To Semifinals
03/02/2002 | 12:00:00 | Men's Basketball
March 2, 2002
Postgame Audio
ST. LOUIS - Southern Illinois held Bradley to just 15 points in the first half and coasted to a 66-44 win in the quarterfinals of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament at the Savvis Center Saturday.
Jermaine Dearman led SIU with 17 points, including 11 in the decisive first half.
The top-seeded Salukis (25-6) advanced to the seminfinals Sunday at 2:30 p.m., when they will play the winner of the game between Southwest Missouri State and Wichita State.
SIU never trailed in the game against the #7-seeded Braves, although both teams got off to a slow start. The score was tied, 7-7, after the first nine minutes of the game.
"When you play Bradley, you always anticipate a hard-fought game," Saluki head coach Bruce Weber said. "Our games against them have been really brutal, and that's kind of how it started. They couldn't score, but we couldn't score."
But the Salukis went on a 21-5 run that started with a 3-pointer by Stetson Hairston, included four buckets by Dearman, and was capped off by a two-hand slam by Rolan Roberts.
Southern held Bradley (9-20) to just 27 percent shooting in the first half and led 33-15 at the break. The 15 points were the fewest allowed by SIU in a half this season.
The Braves came as close as 11 points in the second half, but it was Darren Brooks who effectively put the game out of reach for the Salukis, connecting on a trio of 3-pointers. Brooks and Kent Williams both finished in double figures for SIU with 11 points apiece.
MORE TO COME...
