Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Southern Illinois University
3-3
Minnesota
6-0
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Illinois | 20 | 25 | 45 |
| Minnesota | 29 | 28 | 57 |
Minnesota grinds out 57-45 win over Men's Basketball
11/25/2016 | 11:07:00 | Men's Basketball
The Golden Gophers (6-0) played without 6-foot-10 center Reggie Lynch, who sprained an ankle in Tuesday's game versus Arkansas, and their offense did not resemble the one that had previously averaged 85 points per game. SIU held them to 38 percent shooting from the field, including 3-of-16 from 3-point. Minnesota's shooting woes extended to the free throw line, where it was 12-of-22.
The Salukis (3-3) got the defensive effort they needed, but an offense that was averaging 81 points was held under 50 for the first time since March 6, 2015. SIU shot 31 percent from the field and was just 2-of-17 from outside the arc.
"This game was two ends of the spectrum," said SIU head coach Barry Hinson. "We played phenomenal defense, and we played, I don't think we played bad offense, I think we played really good offense. We just didn't produce when the shots were there."
Early on, Southern looked like it might be sensing an upset. After both teams labored to make shots during the first 10 minutes of the game, SIU went on a 9-2 run to grab an 18-14 lead with 8:26 to go in the half. The spurt started with an Austin Weiher feed to Thik Bol for a dunk, and included a pull-up jump shot by Mike Rodriguez, and a pair of jumpers by Weiher.
The mini-run seemed to awaken Minnesota, which ran off 12-straight points and finished the half on a 15-2 run. Even without Lynch, the Golden Gophers had a distinct size advantage. They tightened the screws on Southern's offense, forcing 11-straight missed shots and holding the Salukis scoreless for a staggering eight-minute stretch.
"I'm happy with the win — nice wakeup call for us," said Minnesota coach Richard Pitino. "If you defend and rebound and guard the three, you're going to be in every game."
Minnesota's offense briefly came to life in the second half, as 6-foot-8 freshman guard Amir Coffey slashed his way to the basket for a couple of quick buckets for four of his game-high 13 points. The undersized Salukis' front court got into serious foul trouble, with both Bol and forward Sean O'Brien picking up their third fouls.The Golden Gophers failed to capitalize, though, and kept missing free throws. A mock cheer went up from the crowd after Akeem Springs made a pair from the charity stripe. Minnesota stretched to its biggest lead, 47-32, When Austin McBrayer hit a trey with 8:33 remaining.
Pitino acknowledged his team wasn't at its best, coming off a win over Arkansas earlier in the week, but after winning just eight games last year, he said they still have a lot to prove.
"You can't overlook anybody," he said. "We should be a no-ego program. We've not earned the right to have an ego."
The Salukis didn't let the game become a blowout like it did in the 25-point loss at Arkansas. Twice in the final four minutes they cut the deficit to eight, the final time coming on a Bol layup with 1:33 to go. Bol was Southern's most effective weapon on the night, finishing with 15 points on 7-of-14 shooting. Half his buckets came on dunks. He was also a force on the defensive end with three help-side blocks.
"He gives us a shot blocker," Hinson said. "He alters shots, he changes shots in the interior. He just seems to be getting better with each game as we go."
Rodriguez had nine assists to lead SIU, but he and backcourt mate Leo Vincent combined to shoot 3-of-15 from the field and 0-of-6 from three.
"We have to make perimeter jump shots," Hinson insisted. "We're not going to score inside the paint against their size. We don't have a guy with girth. We have to make outside shots to be successful. We had four starters tonight that were 1-for-12 from behind the arc."
This was the second of three games Southern Illinois will play against Power Five conference teams this year. The Salukis still have Louisville remaining on Dec. 7. Hinson said no one should be second-guessing the strategy to beef-up the schedule, and he expects it to pay dividends as the season progresses.
"If I'm going to say anything to people who are doubting what we're doing right now, I'm going to tell you point-blank and openly, that this team got really good tonight against a team that's undefeated, and it was a different ball club than what we saw at Arkansas," he said. "If they can't see that, then they don't understand basketball."
