Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Southern Illinois University
26-6
Missouri St.
17-15
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Missouri State | 27 | 36 | 63 |
| Southern Illinois | 38 | 48 | 86 |
Salukis Punish Southwest Missouri State, 86-63
03/03/2002 | 12:00:00 | Men's Basketball
March 3, 2002
Postgame Audio
ST. LOUIS - Southern Illinois advanced to the championship game of the Missouri Valley Conference for the first time since 1995 by steamrolling Southwest Missouri State, 86-63, Sunday at the Savvis Center.
The top-seeded Salukis (26-6) tied the school record for wins in a season and will look to break that mark and earn the MVC's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament with a win Monday, when they play #2-seed Creighton (21-8).
Marcus Belcher led the SIU attack with a career-high 19 points, including 5-of-7 from 3-point range.
Leading by 11 points at halftime, the Salukis blew it wide open with a 27-11 run in the first nine minutes of the second half.
But perhaps most impressive in the victory was the team's play late in the first half.
The Salukis played the final five minutes of the first half without its top two scorers, Kent Williams and Rolan Roberts, who sat on the bench with two fouls apiece.
Still, the Salukis were able to pad their lead during that stretch, turning a 27-21 advantage into a 38-27 halftime lead.
They did so thanks to the efforts of Marcus Belcher, who hit a pair of 3-point baskets during the run, and Jermaine Dearman, who also knocked down a couple field goals.
Also scoring in double figures for SIU were Williams, who had 15 points, and Jermaine Dearman and Darren Brooks, who scored 10 apiece.
The Saluki bench outscored the Bears' bench 27-14.
Monday's MVC Championship game will be televised by ESPN2 and tips off at 8:30 p.m. CT.
