Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Kyle Smithpeters NCAA Tournament Journal
03/19/2005 | 12:00:00 | Men's Basketball
March 19, 2005
Friday, March 18, 2005
Today was a good day for the Saluki nation as we overcame our streak of losing in the first round.
We came out and jumped on them quick. We went on to lead by as many as 15 in the first half, but the lead slowly dwindled down to 9 right before the second half.
We were upset that we allowed the lead to decrease down from 15 to 9, but we were happy that the game was in our hands, and we were able to control most of the situations. The game eventually tied up later in the second half, and of course, it immediately recalled memories of the SMS game in which we blew a huge lead.
That's what makes the tournament so special. There are no easy ones in the tournament, as any one could see if you watched the Syracuse and Kansas games today.
The teams that win are the ones with more desire and determination to prove themselves to the viewing nation to give respect. Right now, I feel that our minds and hearts are in the right spot and winning is the only option that the Salukis will be happy with.
We spent the rest of the day enjoying the victory and watching games on TV. We are still focused and know we will have our hands full with OSU, but are very confident with the way we are playing right now.
