Saturday, November 16
Carbondale, Ill.
7 p.m.
Southern Illinois University
2-3,0-0MVC
60
vs
76
San Francisco
4-0,0-0WCC
1
2
F
San Francisco
38
38
76
Southern Ill.
31
29
60
San Francisco powers past SIU, 76-60
11/16/2019 | 9:44:00 | Men's Basketball
CARBONDALE, Ill. - San Francisco used a dominating rebounding effort to overpower the SIU men's basketball team 76-60 on Saturday night at Banterra Center. The Dons outscored SIU 19-0 in second-chance points and 17-2 in transition.
"I'm disappointed in tonight's performance," SIU head coach Bryan Mullins said. "We didn't start the game the right way. In the first 4-5 minutes of the game, they played with more energy than us. In the first half, we battled back; we had some runs. In the second half, they went on a big run. Obviously, offensive rebounds and transition defense hurt us the most tonight. Offensively, the ball stuck a little bit too much. We have to do a better job sharing the ball. When we guard, we do a good job for the first 20 seconds or so, but then we have to be able to finish possessions off."
San Francisco (4-0), which has 10 returners from last year's 21-win team, started the game on a 9-0 run. SIU (2-3) never led in the game, coming only as close as 15-13 on a Brendon Gooch 3-pointer at the 12-minute mark in the first half. But USF had a size advantage at every spot on the floor ended up with 8 offensive rebounds in the first half that it turned in 14 second-chance points. While SIU held USF to 9-for-21 on first-chance field goal attempts (43%) in the first half, the Dons went 6-of-8 on second-chance attempts in that span. They led second-chance points (14-0) and fast-break points (5-0) by a combined 19-0, but SIU was still in striking distance, trailing just 38-31 at intermission.
SIU got within four points early in the second half before USF went on a decisive 16-0 run that pushed its lead to 20 points. The first 10 points of the 16-0 run were all either second-chance or fast break points. SIU never got within single digits the rest of the way.
Going back to Sunday's loss to Oakland, SIU has been outrebounded by 40 over the last two games. Through five games, SIU's opponents are turning more than one-third of their misses into offensive rebounds.
"We have to do a better job as a coaching staff of addressing (rebounding) and getting it to click to our guys, how important it is," Mullins said.
The Salukis had Ronnie Suggs Jr. and Eric McGill rejoin the rotation after missing early-season action with injuries.
McGill had 6 points and a team-best 6 rebounds. Aaron Cook led SIU with 13 points and added 3 steals. Suggs, who missed the first four regular season games of the season with a calf strain, returned to the starting lineup and had 6 points in 15 minutes. Gooch hit a pair of 3-pointers and also blocked two shots.
SIU will try to snap its three-game losing skid at Murray State on Tuesday night in Murray, Ky. The Racers are coming off a 114-48 win over NAIA Brescia tonight. Murray's only loss of the season is at Tennessee, and the Racers led that game by 12 in the first half.
"It has to start with our seniors showing great leadership these next couple days," Mullins said. "Obviously, it doesn't get any easier for us, going to Murray State. That will be a tough task. We have to have a great practice Monday and be ready to go Tuesday."
"I'm disappointed in tonight's performance," SIU head coach Bryan Mullins said. "We didn't start the game the right way. In the first 4-5 minutes of the game, they played with more energy than us. In the first half, we battled back; we had some runs. In the second half, they went on a big run. Obviously, offensive rebounds and transition defense hurt us the most tonight. Offensively, the ball stuck a little bit too much. We have to do a better job sharing the ball. When we guard, we do a good job for the first 20 seconds or so, but then we have to be able to finish possessions off."
San Francisco (4-0), which has 10 returners from last year's 21-win team, started the game on a 9-0 run. SIU (2-3) never led in the game, coming only as close as 15-13 on a Brendon Gooch 3-pointer at the 12-minute mark in the first half. But USF had a size advantage at every spot on the floor ended up with 8 offensive rebounds in the first half that it turned in 14 second-chance points. While SIU held USF to 9-for-21 on first-chance field goal attempts (43%) in the first half, the Dons went 6-of-8 on second-chance attempts in that span. They led second-chance points (14-0) and fast-break points (5-0) by a combined 19-0, but SIU was still in striking distance, trailing just 38-31 at intermission.
SIU got within four points early in the second half before USF went on a decisive 16-0 run that pushed its lead to 20 points. The first 10 points of the 16-0 run were all either second-chance or fast break points. SIU never got within single digits the rest of the way.
Going back to Sunday's loss to Oakland, SIU has been outrebounded by 40 over the last two games. Through five games, SIU's opponents are turning more than one-third of their misses into offensive rebounds.
"We have to do a better job as a coaching staff of addressing (rebounding) and getting it to click to our guys, how important it is," Mullins said.
The Salukis had Ronnie Suggs Jr. and Eric McGill rejoin the rotation after missing early-season action with injuries.
McGill had 6 points and a team-best 6 rebounds. Aaron Cook led SIU with 13 points and added 3 steals. Suggs, who missed the first four regular season games of the season with a calf strain, returned to the starting lineup and had 6 points in 15 minutes. Gooch hit a pair of 3-pointers and also blocked two shots.
SIU will try to snap its three-game losing skid at Murray State on Tuesday night in Murray, Ky. The Racers are coming off a 114-48 win over NAIA Brescia tonight. Murray's only loss of the season is at Tennessee, and the Racers led that game by 12 in the first half.
"It has to start with our seniors showing great leadership these next couple days," Mullins said. "Obviously, it doesn't get any easier for us, going to Murray State. That will be a tough task. We have to have a great practice Monday and be ready to go Tuesday."
Team Stats
USF
SIU
FG%
.492
.458
3FG%
.344
.357
FT%
.714
.688
RB
39
23
TO
14
14
STL
7
6
Game Leaders
Pts
13
FGM
5
3FGM
0
FTM
3
Pts
9
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
1
Pts
7
FGM
3
3FGM
1
FTM
0
Pts
6
FGM
2
3FGM
0
FTM
2
Players Mentioned
F
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's BasketballG
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