Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Southern Illinois University
17-3, 6-1
Indiana St.
10-9, 4-3
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indiana State | 34 | 32 | 66 |
| Southern Illinois | 40 | 39 | 79 |
Men's Basketball drops Indiana State, 79-66
01/20/2016 | 12:00:00 | Men's Basketball
CARBONDALE, Ill. - Southern Illinois guaranteed its first winning season since 2008 with a 79-66 victory over Indiana State on Wednesday. In a twist, SIU won with minimal contributions from the league's second-leading scorer Anthony Beane.
Beane was held to a season-low eight points, but the Salukis (17-3, 6-1) prevailed thanks to a stifling defense that forced 20 turnovers and held ISU to 37 percent shooting, including 2-of-18 from 3-point range.
The Sycamores (10-9, 4-3) struggled to run their offense from the start, going the first six minutes of the contest without a field goal. Their starting five combined for no assists and 13 turnovers on the night.
"I don't like being (ranked) ninth in the conference in defense," said SIU head coach Barry Hinson. "That really bothers me. I worked for Mr. (Henry) Iba. I came from Oklahoma State. I coached at Kansas, Missouri State. We play good defense. This tonight was the first night that we actually hooked up and guarded."
The game got off to a bumpy start for Southern when both Beane and starting center Bola Olaniyan went to the bench with two fouls after three-and-a-half minutes. The Salukis led by four at the time, and the reserves managed to hold the fort and actually extend the lead to six at halftime, 40-34. Leo Vincent came off the bench to score 11 first-half points and finish with a game-high 18. Sean O'Brien joined Vincent in double figures with 13 points, while Mike Rodriguez and Tyler Smithpeters added nine apiece.
"It's not just Anthony Beane," said Indiana State head coach Greg Lansing. "He can score it and he's an elite scorer, but they just showed how good they are and how deep they can be with the rest of those guys."
Indiana State hung around in the second half until a pivotal two-minute sequence turned a seven-point Saluki lead into a 14-point margin. Beane started the run by picking Devonte Brown's pocket and going coast-to-coast for a layup. After an ISU turnover, Vincent drained a 3-ball from the right corner. A steal by Ibby Djimde and a baseball pass led to a Rodriguez layup, capping a 7-0 run that made it 65-51 with 6:30 to go.
"Five assists and 20 turnovers, I don't know how much more you can say than that," lamented Lansing. "Too much individual and getting into our own stuff. The key to the game was effort points. They had 34 points in the paint and 23 points off our turnovers."
Brown led ISU with 26 points, but also committed five turnovers. In a tightly officiated contest, the teams combined to commit 57 fouls and shoot 76 free throws. Southern made 25-of-34 from the line, compared to 30-of-42 by ISU. Brandon Murphy was a force inside for ISU, fouling out Olaniyan and pinning four fouls on Djimde.
"I knew it was going to be called like that -- I had no doubt in my mind -- got another (NCAA) memo today," said Hinson, who contributed to the foul total with a technical during the second half for throwing his jacket.
Picked to finish ninth, the Salukis continue to be the surprise team of the Missouri Valley Conference and remain tied for second place with Evansville, one game behind unbeaten Wichita State. Hinson teared up when he discussed clinching a winning season.
"I don't think our kids understand the magnitude of tonight," he said. "We can get E.coli and not win another game and still have a winning season. The eight-year drought is over. Come on in boys, the water is fine."
