Southern Illinois University
13-19,(5-13MVC)
Missouri St.
24-7, (15-3MVC)
Men's Basketball loses heartbreaker to Missouri State, 58-56
03/04/2011 | 12:00:00 | Men's Basketball
March 4, 2011
By Tom Weber
SIUSalukis.com
ST. LOUIS, Mo. - For 38 minutes, Southern Illinois appeared headed for the biggest upset in the history of the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament.
Then No. 1-seed Missouri State came off the mat to score the last 11 points of the game, including the game-winner by regular-season MVP Kyle Weems, to pull off a stunning comeback win, 58-56.
No one gave the Salukis (13-19) a chance to win this one. Under the current tournament format, the No. 1-seed has never lost to a No. 8-9 seed. Yet SIU turned in perhaps its grittiest defensive effort of the season, holding Weems to 5-of-18 from the field and the Bears (24-7) to 33 percent shooting.
SIU jumped on the Bears from the opening tip, taking an 11-3 lead and causing MSU coach Cuonzo Martin to use a timeout. Kendal Brown-Surles scored the first seven points for Southern with a pair of driving layups and 3-pointer.
"We played hard, we cut with conviction on offense," said Saluki head coach Chris Lowery. "We really moved the ball well and utilized our quickness every opportunity we could."
Late in the first half, the Salukis took their first double-digit lead on a short jumper by Mykel Cleveland with 2:03 remaining in the half. They led by eight at the break.
The Bears made a couple of runs during the course of the second half, but Southern answered each time. Mamadou Seck, who scored 15 points and grabbed 14 rebounds for the Salukis, was too quick and strong around the basket for any MSU defender. And Justin Bocot continued his torrid play, making 5-of-7 shots from the field and finishing with 11 points.
"Our guys executed motion very well," Lowery said. "Our guards have gotten better. We complained about them all year -- me personally -- and to see them grow up and put us in position, it was good to see."
It just wasn't quite enough. Up nine with 2:30 remaining, Seck missed the front end of a 1-and-1. Ten seconds later, Adam Leonard drained a deep 3-pointer.
It was the beginning of a 3-point barrage as Weems and Leonard each hit another trey to tie the game, 56-56, with 46 seconds remaining. Leonard's shot came from at least 10-feet behind arc.
Southern had a chance to go back ahead, but Brown-Surles missed a running jumper with 16 seconds to go, setting up the heroics by Weems.
After a timeout, the Bears cleared the floor for the senior forward, who drove right and hit an off-balance fadeaway from 10-feet out over Carlton Fay. The shot with 1.4 seconds remaining gave MSU its first lead of the game.
"That's not a shot he probably practices," Lowery said. "It's a shot a good player could make. We had him guarded off the lane the way we wanted to."
Added Fay, "he made a tough shot. I did the best I could. He's the player of the year. He made the play."
Brown-Surles' desperation 3/4-court heave at the buzzer was wide left.
The two-day performance by the Salukis was surprising when you consider the team had lost nine of its last 10 conference games during the regular season.
"You have to give credit to our seniors and our kids for coming in here and fighting and showing what we are capable of," Lowery said. "We played with some conviction and passion."
With Seck, Bocot and Brown-Surles all returning next season, Lowery said he hopes the game will serve as a springboard for improvement next year.
"We can get better," he said. "The guys finally believe in what we're doing. Why it took this long, I have no clue."
