Southern Illinois University
7-2
Indiana
6-3
Men's Basketball falls to Indiana, 57-47
12/17/2006 | 12:00:00 | Men's Basketball
Dec. 17, 2006
By Tom Weber
www.SIUSalukis.com
Box Score | Photo Gallery
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Two hard-nosed defenses fought tooth-and-nail at Assembly Hall Sunday night, but Indiana was able to pull away late for a 57-47 win over Southern Illinois.
The Salukis (7-2) held Indiana to just 38 percent shooting on the night, but the Hoosiers (6-3) were more aggressive attacking the basket as their 31-18 advantage at the free throw line attested.
"The way to defeat that team is not to run your offense better," said Indiana coach Kelvin Sampson, whose team made just six baskets in the first half. "It's to beat them off the dribble. Spread 'em and attack 'em."
Leading the attack was A.J. Ratliff, who came off the bench to score a team-high 14 points. He also spearheaded a superb IU defensive effort in the second half with three steals.
After SIU took a 34-30 lead on a pull-up jumper by Tony Young with 11:29 remaining in the game, the Salukis didn't make another field goal until Matt Shaw's layup with 2:49 to go.
The Hoosiers switched back-and-forth between a 1-3-1 zone and a man-to-man, frustrating the Salukis.
"(Indiana) made adjustments at the half that made it tough for us to make a catch anywhere on the floor," Saluki head coach Chris Lowery said. "That's what we usually do to other people. We make you play one-on-one basketball. They flipped it on us, and we panicked and didn't do a good job of taking drive attempts to the basket."
Lowery especially praised the job Indiana did on Jamaal Tatum, who led Southern with 17 points, but took only one shot in the second half.
"They did a tremendous job in the second half of getting up into Jamaal Tatum defensively," Lowery said.
Lowery said Tatum and senior teammate Tony Young must produce during crunch time.
"It's no disrespect to those guys," he said. "At times, they were breathtaking. Our seniors would do really good things, but then they were heartbreaking on the other side of it. In order for us to win, they're going to have to make big plays on the road. They didn't, and it hurts them."
Particularly disappointing were SIU's 20 turnovers.
Both teams were able to limit the other's leading scorer, as IU's 6-foot-9 forward D.J. White was held to eight points, and SIU's Matt Shaw likewise had eight.
"We did a great job on D.J. White," Lowery said. "We really frustrated him."
"I watched their games against Virginia Tech, Arkansas and Western Kentucky, and every time they needed a basket, they'd flash Shaw somewhere, hard as he can to the ball," Sampson said. "We really tried to take that away. Every time he came to the ball, we tried to deny it. And if he did catch it, pressure it."
Sampson credited SIU for forcing his team completely out of its offense in the first half.
"It wasn't bad offense as much as it was good defense," he said. "Sometimes, your offense doesn't look good against a great defense."
He called it a quality win for his team.
"Some people predict who is going to win based on the name on their jersey," he said. "Those Southern Illinois kids are tough...They're experienced. They know how to win on the road."
In his opening statement after the game, Sampson also praised the Missouri Valley Conference.
"Watching Southern Illinois play, you can see why Wichita State wins at Syracuse or at LSU," he said. "Those teams are good."
Lowery said the game will help his team prepare for the conference season.
"Games like this only make you better, because you go into hostile situations and learn from the mistakes that you make," he said.
