SIU heads to No. 14 Buffalo

The Southern Illinois men's basketball team visits No. 14 Buffalo on Saturday, Dec. 15, in the back half on an in-season home-and-home series. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. CT. The Bulls pulled out a 62-53 win at SIU Arena on November 12.

Southern Illinois (7-4) at No. 14 Buffalo (9-0) || Saturday, December 15 || 1 p.m. CT || Buffalo, NY (Alumni Arena)

Watch » ESPN+ with Paul Peck and Will Regan
Listen » Saluki Sports Network with Mike Reis and Connor Onion (Stream available through TuneIn)
Stats » Via Buffalo
Game Notes » Southern Illinois (PDF)

THE RUNDOWN

Southern Illinois travels to No. 14 Buffalo on Saturday. The Salukis and Bulls tip off at 1 p.m. CT. The game will be streamed nationally through ESPN+.
SIU is facing a ranked opponent for the third time this season (#2 Kentucky on Nov. 9 and #25 Buffalo on Nov. 12).
The last time SIU faced 3+ ranked opponents: 2014-15 (5 -- Wichita State three times and Northern Iowa twice).
Only twice has SIU played three regular-season non-conference games against ranked opponents.
- 1974-75: #16 Michigan, at #18 Centenary, and #13 Creighton
- 2007-08: at #15 Indiana, #24 Saint Mary's, and #16 Butler
SIU has assisted on 61.0 percent of its field goals, which ranks 21st nationally.
Thik Bol has 95 career blocks. With five more blocks, he will become the sixth player in program history to block 100 career shots.
Sean Lloyd Jr. is the reigning MVC Player of the Week. He averaged 19 points and 6.5 rebounds in two wins last week.
In the MVC, SIU is...
- 1st in assists (172)
- 1st in blocks (47)
- 2nd in 3-point FG% (.390)
- 3rd in scoring defense (67.3)

GAME PREVIEW

Southern Illinois travels to No. 14 Buffalo for the back half of a home-and-home in-season series between the programs. The Bulls won the first meeting, 62-53, in Carbondale on November 12.
Buffalo is one of nine remaining undefeated teams in college basketball: Kansas, Virginia, Michigan, Nevada, Texas Tech, Buffalo, Houston, St. John's, and Furman.
Buffalo's No. 14 ranking is its highest in school history. The Bulls No. 25 ranking when the teams met on Nov. 12 was their first AP top-25 ranking all-time.
SIU has assisted on 61.0 percent of its field goals, which ranks 21st nationally. Buffalo's assists allowed percentage is only 37 percent, which ranks fourth nationally. In the first meeting, Buffalo only allowed SIU six assists on 21 field goals. (Without the Buffalo game, SIU's assist percentage would be 64 percent and rank 8th nationally.)
Buffalo's average possession length (14.4 seconds) is the seventh-fastest pace in college basketball.
SIU held UB to 62 points in the first meeting, matching the best defensive performance against the Bulls in three seasons. (UB last scored fewer than 62 points on March 1, 2016 (vs. Miami (OH) - 59 points). Buffalo averaged 85 points per game last season.)
In the first meeting this season, Kavion Pippen led the Salukis with 18 points on 8-for-12 shooting. Aaron Cook (11) and Sean Lloyd Jr. (10) were also in double-figures for SIU.
In the first meeting, Buffalo featured a balanced attack that had five players score 7+ points and nobody score more than 11.
SIU has dropped 12-straight games against ranked opponents. SIU's last win against a ranked team was a 64-62 win over No. 22 Wichita State in 2013.
SIU's last win against a team ranked as high as Buffalo (No. 14) was a 65-62 win over No. 14 Drake in 2008.

DAWG BITES

Three recent Salukis are playing professional basketball. Anthony Beane, Jr., is playing in Latvia. Sean O'Brien is playing in the Czech Republic; and Mike Rodriguez is playing in Iceland.
According to KenPom, Southern Illinois is the 12th-most experienced team in the nation. SIU has six seniors (including three fifth-year seniors) and two juniors (including one fourth-year junior).
SIU has assisted on 61.0 percent of its field goals, which ranks 21st nationally.
SIU held #2 Kentucky (71), #25 Buffalo (62), and Saint Louis (56) to their lowest point totals this season.
SIU has shot better in the second half than the first half in eight of the last nine games. SIU has also shot 50 percent or better in the second half in seven of the last nine games.
SIU has outscored its opponents in the second half in nine consecutive games. On the season, SIU has outscored opponents by 72 points in the second half (6.5 per second half).
Since the start of the 2017-18 season, Southern Illinois is 21-2 when holding an opponent under 70 points (6-1 in 2018-19).
The Salukis have made at least one 3-point field goal in 126 consecutive games.
SIU was receiving votes in Week 2 of the AP top-25, the first time SIU was getting votes in the poll since Nov. 16, 2009.

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

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Players Mentioned

Thik Bol

Aaron Cook Jr.

Sean Lloyd Jr.

Sean O'Brien

Kavion Pippen

Mike Rodriguez

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