SIU closes regular season at Missouri State

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SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - The SIU men's basketball team ends the regular season with a 3 p.m. game on Saturday against Missouri State at JQH Arena.

SIU (16-14, 10-7 MVC) at Missouri State (14-16, 8-9 MVC)

Date and Time » 3 p.m. CT on Saturday, February 29 // Springfield, Mo.
Watch » ESPN3 with Ned Reynolds and Kelby Stuckey
Listen » Saluki Sports Network with Mike Reis and Mike Trude
Live Stats » Sidearm Stats via Missouri State
Social Media » @SIU_Basketball
Game Notes » SIU (PDF) | Missouri State

OPENING TIP

The SIU men's basketball team ends the regular season with a road game at Missouri State on Saturday at 3 p.m. CT.
SIU will be either the 4, 5, or 6-seed in the 2020 MVC Tournament, depending on Saturday's results.
SIU's 10 MVC wins represent the most ever by an MVC team that was picked last in the preseason poll (since 1986). In 2018, Drake was picked last in the MVC poll, and also won 10 games.
SIU ranks 10th nationally (of 353) in scoring defense, allowing just 61.4 points per game. SIU is on pace to have its best scoring defense season since 2007-08.
SIU's 3-point field goal percentage defense is on pace to be its best since 2005-06.
Via KenPom -- SIU's overall defensive efficiency ranks 97th nationally, which is second-best in the MVC to Loyola.
Barret Benson has scored in double figures nine of the last 12 games, including a career-high 24 points in SIU's win over Missouri State in Carbondale.
Marcus Domask is one of only three freshmen in the nation averaging at least 14 points, 5 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. (The others: Georgia's Anthony Edwards and North Carolina's Cole Anthony.)
In the last four games, Lance Jones is averaging 15.5 points per game on 22-of-37 shooting (59.5%). Jones has scored or assisted on 32 of SIU's 91 field goals in the last four games (35%).

DAWG BITES: SIU has held 11 opponents under 40% shooting this season, the most for SIU in a single season since 2007-08. SIU is 9-2 when it holds opponents under 40% shooting ... Marcus Domask has played 1,059 minutes this season, which ranks 10th in the nation and most in the nation among freshmen ... In the last three games, Harwin Francois is 6-for-8 from the field and 5-of-7 from the 3-point line.

SIU SEEDING SCENARIOS

SIU will play on Friday at Arch Madness next week. The Salukis will either be the 4-seed, 5-seed, or 6-seed in the tournament. The 4-seed vs. 5-seed game is at 2:35 p.m. CT; and the 3-seed vs. 6-seed game is at 8:35 p.m. CT. All games will be played at Enterprise Center in St. Louis. Below are SIU's potential seeds going into the last game of the regular season. (Visit the Arch Madness website for more information, ticket deals, and hotel accommodations.)

FOUR SEED: If SIU wins and Valpo wins at Indiana State. (SIU would be the #4 seed and face #5 seed Valpo.)
FIVE SEED: If Indiana State beats Valpo, regardless of SIU's result. (SIU would face either Bradley or Indiana State in the 4 vs. 5-seed game at Arch Madness, depending on results of the Indiana State-Valpo and Bradley-Loyola games, and potentially also on the NET on Sunday morning.)
SIX SEED: If SIU loses and Valpo wins at Indiana State. (SIU would face either Bradley or Loyola.)
- If Bradley loses to Loyola, SIU would face #3 seed Bradley in the 3-6 game at Arch Madness.
- If Bradley beats Loyola, SIU would face either Bradley or Loyola -- whoever has the lower (worse) NET on Sunday morning -- in the 3-6 game.

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