Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Southern Illinois University
12-7
Western Kentucky
11-9
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Western Kentucky | 33 | 30 | 63 |
| Southern Illinois | 38 | 30 | 68 |
Men's Basketball tops Western Kentucky, 68-63
01/25/2010 | 12:00:00 | Men's Basketball
Jan. 25, 2010
By Tom Weber
www.SIUSalukis.com
CARBONDALE, Ill. - It was back to the basics for the Salukis.
The plan was simple -- establish an inside game, free up the shooters and defend like crazy. Southern Illinois accomplished all three in a 68-63 win over Western Kentucky on Monday night.
Still, the game was close until Carlton Fay's 3-pointer with 1:22 remaining gave SIU a 65-60 lead and enough breathing room to coast to victory.
Throughout the contest, the Salukis (12-7) were determined to exploit their size advantage inside. In fact, 6-foot-9, 290-pound behemoth Gene Teague took the team's first three shots. Although he finished the night with a modest 10 points and nine rebounds, Teague's mere presence down low caused Western fits. They tried guarding him with 6-foot-5 forward Steffphon Pettigrew and later resorted to double-teams.
"He's a tough matchup down on the block," said Saluki head coach Chris Lowery. "The guys have confidence throwing him the ball. That's why he is getting touches."
Teague played a career-high 29 minutes, nine more than the freshman's previous best.
"I said before the season that Eugene was going to be a big factor for us," said Saluki point guard Kevin Dillard. "No one can really stop him. We are going to keep giving him the ball, because we feel he can finish every time. He can pass, too. He has everything you need from a big guy."
With so much attention focused on Southern's inside game, the wings were left open for the team's 3-point shooters. The Salukis made seven three-balls in the first half, including 4-of-5 by Tony Freeman, who finished with a dozen points.
Point guard Kevin Dillard was the engine that drove SIU's offense. He had eight assists and no turnovers in the first half, in which Southern led 38-33.
"He has to be aggressive offensively and that doesn't mean shooting," Lowery said. "It's not about scoring, it's about making plays."
The sophomore point guard looked for his shot more in the second half, draining a couple of clutch 3-pointers. He ended the night with his fourth point-assist double-double of the season, recording 17 points and 10 assists.
"Kevin's execution and leadership was excellent," Lowery praised. "I told him he can't have a bad game. That is just the reality of this team, and the reality of his career here. He always has to be at his A-plus game."
After the Salukis pulled out to an eight-point advantage early in the second half, the Hilltoppers (11-9) went on a 14-3 run to briefly take the lead, 47-44. The Salukis appeared to have problems during that stretch dealing with Western's active 2-3 zone.
"We have a reputation as being a hard-nosed team that fights every inch of the way," said Western Kentucky head coach Brad Fields, who led his team to the second round of the NCAA Tournament last season. "It's why we were good last year, it's why we've been good this year."
Southern regained the lead on a post-up basket by Anthony Booker with 8:48 to go and never relinquished it again.
Defense proved to be the key down the stretch. Western Kentucky's leading scorer, A.J. Slaughter, was held to 14 points in the game on 2-of-12 shooting from the field. He was 1-of-8 in the second half.
"Tony Freeman is turning into a fantastic defender for us," Lowery said. "He gets the best guy every game and was just locking A.J."
The Hilltoppers shot just 36 percent in the second half.
"Coach has been stressing lately at practice that we need to get back to playing smashmouth basketball," Dillard said. "We need to play a lively defense, pressure people and try to force them into turnovers. I felt the last two games we have been doing a good job of that."
Foul trouble was the biggest worry for Southern in the second half, but Booker was the only player to foul out.
"We are guarding finally," Lowery said. "We are getting a lot of fouls, because we are in people's (face), and that's the difference. You don't get fouls if you are 10 feet off a guy. You can't wear people down if you are playing passive defensively."
After losing three-straight home games in the month of January, the Salukis have now won two in a row on their home floor.
"We had a meeting and said we have to protect our house," Dillard said. "This is our sweat, our bloodshed on the court during practice. We can't let anyone come in here and beat us."
