SIU faces UMass in Vegas on Thanksgiving Day

The Southern Illinois men's basketball team opens the Continental Tire Las Vegas Holiday Invitational on Thanksgiving Day against UMass at 12:30 p.m. CT. The game will be broadcast nationally on FS1. Depending on results, SIU will face either Tulsa or No. 6 Nevada on Friday, November 23.

Southern Illinois (2-2) vs. UMass (3-2) || Las Vegas, Nev. (Orleans Arena) || Thursday, November 22 || 12:30 p.m. CT

Watch » FS1 with Alex Faust and Doug Gottlieb
Listen » Saluki Sports Network with Mike Reis and Connor Onion (Stream available through TuneIn)
Stats » SIUSalukis.com/mbb/schedule
Game Notes » Southern Illinois (PDF)

THE RUNDOWN

Southern Illinois travels to the Continental Tire Las Vegas Holiday Invitational on November 22-23. Both games will be televised nationally on FS1.
The Salukis face UMass at 12:30 p.m. CT on Thanksgiving Day. SIU will then face either Tulsa or No. 6 Nevada on Friday night.
SIU has held three-straight opponents under 40 percent shooting. In the last three games, the Salukis are holding opponents to 35 percent from the field and 28 percent from the 3-point line. The last time SIU held three-straight opponents under 40 percent shooting was December 2014.
SIU held Kentucky to 71 points and Buffalo to 62 points, each team's season low.
Marcus Bartley has scored 39 points in the last two games on 12-for-16 shooting (75 percent) -- 11-for-15 (73 percent) from the 3-point line. On the season, Bartley ranks 12th nationally in 3-point accuracy at 61.9 percent.
In the last two games, SIU has 44 assists on 58 made field goals (76 percent). Aaron Cook's career-high 10 assists vs. Howard were tied for the most for any Saluki in the Hinson era (7 years).

GAME PREVIEW

For the third-straight year, Southern Illinois will play in Las Vegas.
- Last year, SIU went 1-1 in the Las Vegas Classic, falling to Nevada and beating Duquesne.
- In 2016-17, SIU lost to UNLV in the MVC-Mountain West Challenge.
SIU faces UMass on Thanksgiving Day at 12:30 p.m. CT. Depending on the result, SIU will face either #6 Nevada or Tulsa in the championship game or third-place game.
- UMass: SIU leads the all-time series, 2-0. The Salukis won 65-63 on a neutral court in 1999 and at home in 2008.
- Nevada: SIU leads the all-time series, 3-2.
- Tulsa: Tulsa leads the all-time series, 32-20. The Salukis and Golden Hurricane were members of the Missouri Valley Conference together from 1975-76 (when SIU joined) until 1995-96 (when Tulsa left).
If SIU wins on Thursday, Friday's game will be scheduled for 9 p.m. CT. If SIU loses on Thursday, Friday's game will be scheduled for 11:30 p.m. CT.
With other games at the same venue, fans can follow Saluki Basketball on Twitter @SIU_Basketball for schedule updates on Friday.
Both games will be televised nationally on FS1.

HOT SHOOTING

Senior guard Marcus Bartley is shooting 61.9 percent from the 3-point line this season, which ranks 12th nationally.
Bartley has gone 11-for-15 from deep in the last two games (73 percent). His six 3-pointers against Pine Bluff tied a Hinson-era high (seven years).
As a team, SIU is 21-for-44 from the 3-point line in the last two games (48 percent).
Four Salukis have set career scoring highs in the last two games. Bartley had 20 vs. Pine Bluff. Rudy Stradnieks had 12 vs. Pine Bluff. Brendon Gooch had 9 points vs. Howard; and Darius Beane had 12 points vs. Howard.

LOCK DOWN

SIU did an exceptional job limiting the opposing team's best player in each of the first three games.
- Game 1 at No. 2 Kentucky: SIU held preseason All-American Reid Travis to six points
- Game 2 vs. #25 Buffalo: C.J. Massinburg was coming off a 43-point game against No. 13 West Viriginia. SIU held him to seven points and scoreless in the second half.
- Game 3 vs. Pine Bluff: preseason SWAC Player of the Year Martaveous McKnight was coming off a 41-point game and was averaging 35 points per game. SIU held him to 11 points on 4-for-17 shooting.
SIU held No. 25 Buffalo to 62 points, matching the best defensive performance against Buffalo in the last three seasons.
UB last scored fewer than 62 on March 1, 2016 (vs. Miami (OH) - 59 points). Buffalo averaged 85 points per game last season.
SIU held Kentucky to 71 points and Buffalo to 62 points, each team's season low.
SIU held Buffalo, Arkansas Pine Bluff and Howard all under 40 percent shooting. The last time SIU held three-straight opponents under 40 percent shooting was Dec. 6-14, 2014, vs. Austin Peay, SEMO, and Chicago State. (Before that: Dec. 11-19, 2011).
The last time SIU held four-straight opponents under 40 percent shooting was Jan. 19-29, 2008.

For a complete set of game notes in PDF format, click here

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Players Mentioned

Marcus Bartley

Darius Beane

Aaron Cook Jr.

Brendon Gooch

Rudy Stradnieks

Scoreboard