Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Southern Illinois University
3-0
Kent St.
1-1
Men's Basketball holds off Kent State, 72-69
11/18/2015 | 12:00:00 | Men's Basketball
CARBONDALE, Ill. - Anthony Beane matched his career high with 32 points, and Southern Illinois held off a late rally by Kent State to win, 72-69, at SIU Arena on Wednesday.
SIU's senior All-Conference guard continued his ascent up the school's all-time scoring list, climbing five spots to 17th place with 1,365 points. He put on a dazzling offensive exhibition for the Salukis (3-0), who are off to their best start since Barry Hinson's first year at Southern in 2012.
"He had a game at Tennessee State last year where he never really missed a shot, and the net didn't even move," Hinson. "But (tonight) was against a really good basketball team, a team where he was their focal point. I think when you go back and grade the film, he only took one bad shot. His bad shots are good shots for us."
The Golden Flashes (1-1) had a chance to tie the game at the buzzer, but Kellon Thomas' 3-pointer from the left corner hit the back of the rim. Kent State dominated the backboards with 20 offensive rebounds, but KSU also missed 20 free throws, and that was the difference in the game.
Beane was electric from the start, dropping in the first five points of the contest on a 3-pointer and an explosive drive to the basket. Southern never trailed in the game, but mostly led by single digits. Every time Kent State made a run, Beane had an answer. He had 15 points in the first half, 17 in the second half and finished the game 12-of-13 from the free throw line.
Southern took its biggest lead of the night, 51-40, with 13:16 remaining in the game after Beane threw down a one-handed dunk in traffic, and backup center Ibby Djimde made back-to-back baseline jumpers. They were the first baskets of the season for 6-foot-7 fifth-year senior.
"Ibby's 43 years old I think -- the kids call him grandpa," Hinson said. "Two big shots. He had really good defensive stands when he was in there, also."
Djimde need to play because SIU's undersized front line of Bola Olaniyan and Sean O'Brien were no match for the taller, longer Golden Flashes. Both Olaniyan and O'Brien fouled out and combined for just 13 points and six rebounds on the night. Hinson tried turning to freshmen big men Austin Weiher and Rudy Stradnieks, who fared no better.
"There's not a human-maturation microwave out there," Hinson said. "I looked on the internet today, because I'd like one. I'd like to put the freshmen in there and say, `mature really quick.'"
The Salukis managed to maintain their lead because Kent State simply couldn't make its free throws. They were 16-of-36 from the charity stripe and missed 13 free throws in the second half alone.
"I thought our free-throw defense was really good," Hinson joked.
The Golden Flashes won the rebounding battle, 43-32, but their 20 offensive rebounds led to only 10 second-chance points.
"Very seldom do you win a game when you get out-rebounded like we did tonight," Hinson said. "We knew that the battle of the boards would be very difficult for us. We said we'd have to play great defense, we're going to have to make our free throws, and we can't turn the ball over."
On those counts, SIU delivered. The Salukis held KSU to 39 percent shooting, they made 77 percent of their own free throws, and turned the ball over just 13 times.
"(Kent State's) a tradition-rich program," Hinson said. "Every time I've played those guys it's come down to the wire except last year. To lead wire-to-wire, that's really impressive."
