Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Southern Illinois University
12-2, 6-0MVC
Bradley
8-9, 1-5MVC
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Illinois | 29 | 43 | 72 |
| Bradley | 30 | 32 | 62 |
Men's Basketball Beats Bradley, 72-62
01/17/2004 | 12:00:00 | Men's Basketball
Jan. 17, 2004
By Tom Weber
www.SIUSalukis.com
PEORIA, Ill. - Southern Illinois proved once again why it is one of the nation's best road teams with a hard-fought, 72-62 win at Bradley Saturday.
The Salukis (12-2, 6-0) are 6-1 on the road this season and one of only three teams in Division I basketball with six or more road wins. St. Joseph's and Central Florida are the others.
So what is the secret to their road success?
"The main thing coach talks about is keeping our poise down the stretch," said guard Stetson Hairston. "We've been in these situations before. We know the crowd is going to be hostile. We just took our time and took it one play at a time."
In fact, it was Hairston who maintained his poise and made the game's biggest shot, silencing the crowd of 11,161 at Carver Arena. SIU led 61-58 with 57 seconds left in the game when the junior knocked down a 3-pointer from the right wing. The play wasn't even designed to go to Hairston, according to head coach Matt Painter.
"It was actually a ball-screen play for Darren (Brooks) up top," Painter said. "Darren had the poise that when he didn't have (a shot), he kicked it to Stetson, and Stetson had a nice, open shot."
That's why the Salukis are 6-1 away from home, Painter explained.
"I wasn't happy as much that the ball went in, as the fact our guys had the poise and understanding not to force," he said.
With the victory, the Salukis tied a school record, set by the 1993-94 squad, for best start in Missouri Valley Conference play. They also remained one game ahead of #20 Creighton in the MVC standings.
Southern is 3-0 in conference road games with six road trips remaining.
"We just have a different mentality when we go on the road than when we play at home," Painter said. "Sometimes, kids don't understand that, but our guys do. I don't think you go to Wyoming and (Wisconsin-) Milwaukee in November and win those games unless you have kids who understand."
Painter said his team simply tries to execute the basics without getting too fancy.
"We played pretty good in those games (at Wyoming and Milwaukee), but we didn't play great," he said. "Our guys understand that you have to be a little more patient, you have to get the ball inside, you have to try to get to the free throw line."
There were moments in the first half at Bradley when a victory appeared less than certain, however.
The Braves (8-9, 1-5) were ahead most of the first 20 minutes, taking their biggest lead, 19-13, on a 35-foot, rainbow jumper by Marcello Robinson that barely beat the shot clock.
Southern closed the gap to 30-29 at halftime, and quickly asserted itself early in the second half.
Trailing 37-34, Southern Illinois went on a 17-7 run that including a 3-pointer by Bryan Turner and a pair of threes by Brad Korn, giving SIU a 48-41 lead with 12:38 remaining.
The sudden, hot shooting from outside the arc was in contrast to the Salukis' first half performance, which saw Southern make 1-of-9 from 3-point range.
SIU never relinquished the lead, though Bradley rallied back to close the deficit to two points, 56-54, on a short jumper by J.J. Tauai at the 5:43 mark. Korn responded for Southern with a five-foot leaner that rolled around the rim and in. In the process, he was fouled by Marcellus Sommerville, and Korn made the free throw.
"When Brad and Bryan Turner are shooting the basketball well, it really helps us," Painter said. It spreads things out, allows the guys in the post to go one-on-one."
Indeed, after a Saluki defensive stop, center Josh Warren found himself unguarded near the basket and hit a put-back lay-up to give SIU a 61-54 lead with 4:22 remaining.
The Braves had one arrow left in their quiver, cutting the gap to 61-58 on a layup by Sommerville with 2:19 to go. He finished with a team-high 15 points.
However, Hairston nailed his clutch 3-pointer a minute later, and SIU made 5-of-6 free throws down the stretch to preserve the win.
Korn led all scorers with 17 points, tying his career high.
