SIU visits SEMO on Saturday

The Southern Illinois men's basketball team travels to Southeast Missouri on Saturday. Tip-off is set for 6:30 p.m., and the game will be streamed nationally on ESPN+. Southern Illinois is looking to avenge a six-point loss to SEMO last season in Carbondale. On the season, SIU has won six of its last seven games, and SEMO has won five of its last seven games. The Salukis are taking a four-game winning streak into Cape Girardeau.

SOUTHERN ILLINOIS (6-3) at SOUTHEAST MISSOURI (5-4) || Saturday, Dec. 8 || 6:30 p.m. || Cape Girardeau, Mo. (Show Me Center)

Watch » ESPN+ with Erik Sean and Jess Bolen
Listen » Saluki Sports Network with Mike Reis and Ray Giacoletti (Stream available through TuneIn)
Stats » Via SEMO
Game Notes » Southern Illinois (PDF) | Southeast Missouri (PDF)

THE RUNDOWN

Southern Illinois travels to Southeast Missouri on Saturday night for a 6:30 p.m. tip at the Show Me Center.
The Salukis are riding a four-game winning streak and have won six of their last seven games.
SIU is looking to avenge a 75-69 loss to SEMO last season in Carbondale. The Redhawks also won the last time the teams played in Cape Girardeau (2014).
Thik Bol blocked five shots in the final five minutes of Wednesday night's win over Saint Louis. Bol now has 92 career blocks in 42 career games, good for 7th all-time at SIU.
SIU has held eight of its nine opponents to either their lowest or second-lowest point totals of the year. SIU held #2 Kentucky (71), #25 Buffalo (62), SIU Edwardsville (61) and Saint Louis (56) to their lowest point totals this season.
In the inaugural NET ratings, SIU was ranked No. 145. In the last 10 days, Southern Illinois has jumped 64 spots and was ranked No. 81--best in the MVC--after Wednesday's win over Saint Louis.
In the MVC, SIU is...
- 1st in FG% defense (39.9)
- 1st in scoring defense (65.2)
- 2nd in assists per game (16.1)
- 2nd in FG% (48.9)
- 2nd in 3p FG% (40.0) -- 25th nationally

GAME PREVIEW

Southern Illinois leads the all-time series, 70-46. SIU has won 13 of the last 16 meetings, but SEMO has won two of the last three, including last year's matchup.
The Redhawks are led by Skyler Hogan and Ledarrius Brewer. Hogan is averaging 12.7 points on 48 percent shooting and 46 percent shooting from the 3-point line. Brewer is averaging 11.6 points and 6.3 rebounds.
Brewer is a preseason All-OVC guard, and Hogan was named OVC Newcomer of the Week on November 19.
SEMO comes into the game winners of five of their last seven games.
Common opponents: SEMO dropped a 10-point decision at Saint Louis in the season opener and fell by 11 at Bradley on November 10.
Only 68 of 351 teams have defenses that are holding opponents under 40 percent shooting. SIU's 39.9 percent field goal defense leads the MVC, and SEMO's 39.6 percent ranks second in the OVC.

STREAKING SALUKIS

SIU has won six of its last seven games after starting the year with back-to-back losses to ranked opponents (#2 Kentucky and #25 Buffalo).
Southern has won four games in a row. The last time SIU won five games in a row was last year, Jan. 21-Feb. 3, 2018, all in MVC play.
SIU has won three-straight non-home games (neutral vs. Tulsa and road games at Colorado State and Edwardsville). The last time SIU won four-straight non-home games was 2015-16 (eight-straight from Nov. 28 to Jan. 31).

LOCK DOWN

SIU has held eight of its nine opponents to either their lowest or second-lowest point totals of the year. SIU held #2 Kentucky (71), #25 Buffalo (62), SIU Edwardsville (61) and Saint Louis (56) to their lowest point totals this season.
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 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).
SIU has held its opponent under 50 percent shooting in 17 of 18 halves this season. SIU has held opponents under 40 percent shooting in 9 of 18 halves.
SIU's current field goal percentage defense (.399) would be the lowest for the program in 50 years (the 1967-68 team hel opponents to 39.2 percent shooting).

DAWG BITES

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).
SIU's predicted non-conference strength of schedule is No. 27 nationally, according to Warren Nolan.
SIU has assisted on 61 percent of its field goals this year, which ranks 20th in the nation.
The Salukis have made at least one 3-point field goal in 124 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.
Armon Fletcher surpassed 1,000 career points in SIU's win at SIU Edwardsville. Fletcher, an Edwardsville native, became the 46th player in program history to surpass 1,000 career points.

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