Southern Illinois University
8-2
SIUE
2-7
SIUE stuns Men's Basketball, 76-74
12/09/2015 | 12:00:00 | Men's Basketball
CARBONDALE, Ill. - Chalk one up for the younger brother. SIUE entered the night on a seven-game losing streak and heavy underdogs to Southern Illinois, but they left the court celebrating a stunning 76-74 win on Wednesday -- the school's first ever against SIU.
The Cougars (2-7) have been a Division I program for only seven years, but they led virtually the entire game and were up by 11 with six minutes remaining. A furious rally by SIU provided some dramatic final moments.
As he's done several times already this season, star guard Anthony Beane keyed a comeback for the Salukis (8-2). The 6-foot-2 senior, who led his team with 21 points, drilled a 3-pointer and a driving layup on back-to-back possessions to cut the deficit to 71-70 with 2:03 remaining. Burak Eslik responded with a 3-pointer to put SIUE up, 74-70, with 43 seconds to go, but in a jaw-dropping sequence, SIU tied the game when Armon Fletcher made a layup, stole the in-bounds pass and scored again with 39 seconds left.
SIUE had an answer, though. C.J. Carr dropped in an 18-foot jumper to put SIUE back on top, 76-74. The diminutive 5-foot-7 point guard had 16 points on 6-of-7 shooting and was a thorn in Southern's side all night, along with back court mate Eslik, who finished with 23 points.
SIU had a chance to tie the game, but Beane became trapped between two defenders with the clock ticking under 10 seconds, passed the ball to Sean O'Brien, who barely got off a wild attempt at the buzzer that landed well short.
Saluki head coach Barry Hinson did not second-guess his decision not to call a timeout on the final possession.
"I didn't want to call a timeout because I didn't want to give them a chance to double Anthony," he said. "I would've done it again. I wouldn't want anybody else with the ball in their hands. With the way it went tonight, everybody else played scared except Anthony."
The outcome was a shocker on several fronts. SIUE returns no starters from last year's team in what is expected to be a rebuilding year under a new coach. The Cougars have never come close to beating their older brother in seven previous meetings, losing the last three by an average of 17 points. On top of that, SIU was coming off a 32-point win at North Texas.
First-year SIUE head coach Jon Harris said he wasn't even aware of the history between the schools.
"I had no idea," he said. "I guess that's a program win then. We're taking baby steps and trying to lay a foundation for how to play the game."
Hinson called the game "really disheartening."
"They out-competed us, they out-battled us, they out-hustled us in every aspect of this game," he said. "Even if we had won the ballgame, we didn't deserve to win it."
The Cougars shot 54 percent from the field, including 10-of-16 from 3-point, but they turned the ball over 21 times, keeping SIU in the game.
"We didn't execute well but we made plays," said Harris. "You have to continue to believe in each other, you have to rally around each other. We came into a hostile environment and made 21 turnovers, but we got a win and that's all that matters."
Beane surpassed 20 points for the sixth time this season, and moved into 11th place all-time in scoring at SIU, but the Cougars made him earn it. They often double-teamed and trapped him and made him work for every bucket.
"The shots that he made, he had a hand in his face, if not two hands in his face," Harris said. "He's an elite-level player and is going to make tough shots."
Beane's supporting cast faltered and that was the telling margin. Southern's offense recorded just six assists, while turning it over 19 times. They were 21-of-36 from the free throw line, with seven misses coming from point guard Mike Rodriguez.
"It's a hard lesson," Hinson said. "Sometimes life gives you hard lessons."
