Southern Illinois University
7-6
Murray St.
9-4
Murray State holds off Men's Basketball, 83-71
12/22/2014 | 12:00:00 | Men's Basketball
By Tom Weber
SIUSalukis.com
CARBONDALE, Ill. - Murray State won its sixth-straight game, topping Southern Illinois, 83-71, on Monday night in front of a season-high crowd of 5,511 at SIU Arena.
Up by three early in the second half, the Racers (9-4) seized control of the game with a 15-2 run to take a 64-48 lead with 12:11 remaining. Cameron Payne started the run by draining back-to-back 3-pointers, and also finished it with a pull-up jumper. SIU simply couldn't contain the sophomore point guard, who scored 22 points and dished out seven assists.
The Salukis (7-6) did make several gritty runs of their own, but could come no closer than seven points down the stretch. They lost back-to-back non-conference home games for the first time since falling to Ohio Dominican and Saint Louis to open the 2010 season.
"There's a difference between getting beat and losing," said SIU head coach Barry Hinson. "Losing is unacceptable. Getting beat is ok. When you do your best and somebody is better than you that beats you, so be it."
Southern played much better than it did three nights ago in a four-point loss to New Orleans. Three players reached double figures, led by Anthony Beane's 19 points. He became the 44th player in school history to surpass the 1,000-point plateau in career scoring.
Also impressive was the play of freshman forward Jordan Caroline, who posted career highs with 16 points and 13 rebounds. Nine of his boards came on the offensive end. Murray State big man Jonathan Fairell played only 11 minutes due to foul trouble, and that cleared the way for Caroline to dominate the offensive glass, where he grabbed a whopping nine offensive rebounds. He was 5-of-12 from the field, and Hinson said when the 6-foot-7, 235-pound forward learns to finish around the basket, he can be a force.
"I think he can play so much better," Hinson said. "I think he has a chance to be special. I can chew him (out) like beef jerky or venison jerky and he just sits there and takes it."
After shooting a season-best 61 percent in the first half, SIU cooled off to make only 9-of-31 field goals in the second half. Beane was 3-of-12 from the field in the final 20 minutes and drew a crowd every time he touched the ball.
Murray State gave SIU an opening to get back in the game by getting whistled for two technical fouls for taunting to start the second half -- one each by Payne and Jarvis Williams. Beane made all four of the free throws, but the offense could supplement the free points with only one basket by Beane during the first eight minutes of the half.
Southern's offense finally got untracked with an 8-0 run that included a conventional three-point play by Jalen Pendleton, a layup by Sean O'Brien and a 3-pointer by Beane. Just when it seemed momentum was shifting, though, Murray guard Justin Seymour reeled off five-straight points.
"We knew we'd get their best," said Murray State head coach Steve Prohm. "We needed a game like this -- a physical, tough game on the road, where everything is against you."
Another bright spot for the Salukis was the play of freshman guard Chaz Glotta, who came off the bench in the second half and scored six points and swiped two steals.
"I really struggle with guys who play with fear -- it's kinda like me on No. 1 at Dalhousie," Hinson joked. "Guys that can play with no fear -- those guys can end up being players for you. That little stinker came in and said I can do anything they can do, and he gave us a lift."
SIU has nine days off before it opens Missouri Valley Conference play at home against Missouri State on New Year's Eve. The Salukis were picked to finish seventh in the league and the Bears were tabbed for third.
"Last year at this time we were 4-9, and this year we're 7-6," Hinson noted. "That's a three-game improvement. We are above .500 going into conference season, and we know with the exception of one team, we're going to be the underdog in every stinkin' game."
