Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Southern Illinois University
21-5, 12-3
Creighton
17-8, 11-4
Men's Basketball shoots down Creighton, 72-68
02/10/2007 | 12:00:00 | Men's Basketball
Feb. 10, 2007
By Tom Weber
www.SIUSalukis.com
Box Score | Photo Gallery/Postgame Podcast
CARBONDALE, Ill. - Throw out everything you think you know about Southern Illinois being a defense-first, offense-we-hope type of team.
In Saturday's battle with Creighton for first place in the Missouri Valley Conference, it was the Saluki offense that rescued the team from peril.
Southern Illinois shot 85.7 percent from the field in the second half, missing only two shots, to slip past the Bluejays, 72-68. The mark set school and Missouri Valley Conference records.
"It felt like we didn't miss a shot," Saluki head coach Chris Lowery said. "Eighty-six percent from the field in a half is unbelievable."
The #20-ranked Salukis (21-5, 12-3) needed every bucket, too, because they trailed throughout much of the second half and turned the ball over 22 times on the night.
"They hit some jumpers," conceded Creighton coach Dana Altman.
Try 14 out of 16 in the second half and 65 percent for the game -- the best team percentage at the school in nearly 12 years.
No player was as deadly as Matt Shaw. The junior forward had his best game in more than a month with 25 points.
"He made a couple tough ones," Altman said. "He just made plays when he had to."
Like the 3-pointer he drained when Southern was on the ropes trailing by five midway through the second half, or the jumper from the lane he dropped in with 5:24 remaining that put SIU ahead, 63-58.
"I just got good looks tonight," Shaw said. "We did a great job of penetrating and pitching and just finding each other when we were open. I've never seen anything like it."
The Bluejays (17-8, 11-4) weren't through putting a scare into the sold-out crowd of 9,628, however.
A pair of Nick Porter free throws tied the game, 67-67, with 1:13 to go.
After Saluki guard Tony Young connected on a 10-footer to put SIU ahead with 50 seconds remaining, Porter had a chance to tie the game, but missed a short jumper in traffic with three seconds left. Shaw grabbed the rebound, was fouled and sealed the win at the free throw line for Southern.
The game had huge ramifications for the league race. With the win, Southern seized sole possession of first place and owns the tiebreaker for seeding in the conference tournament by virtue of sweeping the season series from the Jays.
There were plenty of side stories to go around, as well.
One was the play of Southern's senior guards -- Young and teammate Jamaal Tatum, who shook off the lingering effects of a deep thigh bruise to score 18 points and make 7-of-11 shots.
"When we needed to make plays down the stretch, JT was huge, and Tony finished them off," Lowery said. "That's what you want your seniors to do. To be able to go make plays."
Tatum said the leg hurt, but there was no way he was missing a game against the Bluejays, who are still considered by Saluki fans to be the team's top rival -- even though Southern has won the last eight meetings between the schools.
"I don't care if I had to come up with some home remedy and put batteries on my leg and tie a shoelace around it," Tatum said. "I was going to play. I wanted to be a part of it."
The game marked the re-emergence of sophomore guard Wesley Clemmons, who didn't miss a shot and scored seven points to go with five rebounds off the bench for SIU.
"Wesley is starting to get back to where he was the first part of January," Lowery said. "He's our sixth starter, and we feel really good about him being in."
The game was the first sell-out of the season and first since Feb. 26, 2005 against Wichita State. It was the 18th sell-out in 43-year history of SIU Arena.
"(The fans) helped us out a lot," said Young. "You get all those people in the building constantly screaming and heckling. They are constantly cheering us on and picking us up when we get down on ourselves."
The victory also kept a couple of streaks alive. The Salukis remained unbeaten at home this year and have a 13-game home winning streak.
Overall, Southern has won seven-straight games, the longest streak of conference wins since 2005.
And the team that ranks fourth in the nation in fewest points allowed happily owes it all to its offense on this occasion.
