Tuesday, October 26
Carbondale, Ill.
7 PM
Southern Illinois University
1-0,0-0MVC
66
vs
52
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Henderson State
0-1,0-0GAC
1
2
F
Henderson St.
21
31
52
Southern Ill.
42
24
66
Salukis thank the fans after exhibition win over Henderson State
10/26/2021 | 10:04:00 | Men's Basketball
CARBONDALE, Ill. - The SIU men's basketball program played in front of fans at Banterra Center for the first time in 608 days on Tuesday and cruised to a 66-52 win over Henderson State in an exhibition contest. SIU led by 22 in the first half and pushed the lead to as big as 26 early in the second half in front of 4.087 fans.
"I want to thank the community and the student section for coming out. It meant a lot to us," SIU head coach Bryan Mullins said. "It was a great atmosphere, and our guys were so excited to put on the jersey and play. They love this place. They want to represent it the right way. I'm proud of how the guys competed."
The Salukis never trailed and pushed the lead to double-figures within the game's first seven minutes. Preseason All-MVC picks Marcus Domask and Lance Jones ignited the crowd. Domask was on triple-double watch in the first half with 7 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists at the break. Jones went 4-for-7 from the 3-point line in the first half and had a game-high 14 points before halftime.
"It was awesome. I had forgetten what it was like to play in front of Saluki Nation -- they were loud," Domask said. "There were a lot of people here for an exhibition game. We appreciate them. The first half, when we went on that run, they make it so easy to play so hard and give it your all when they're on their feet cheering."
"It was amazing. It's been a long time coming," Jones added. "We were focused on doing well for the fans, since it had been so long."
For SIU, the win was a complete team effort. All 13 available players played, and 10 scored. SIU outrebounded the Reddies by 15 and held Henderson State -- an upper-level Division II program with five-straight winning seasons -- to 39.1% from the field. The first half was particularly dominant; SIU went into halftime with a 42-21 lead and a dominant 25-9 edge on the boards. In the second half, Henderson State outscored SIU 31-24. The Reddies forced 10 SIU second-half turnovers, which led to a 13-3 advantage for HSU in points-off-turnovers after halftime.
"It was a tale of two halves," Mullins said. "In the first half, I thought guys were really focused and the ball was moving offensively. Defensively, we were taking away the paint. In the second half. we turned the ball over a lot, and that gave them a lot of opportunities. It's a lot of great film that we will be able to watch, show our guys, and get better from it for (the season opener vs.) Arkansas Little Rock."
Nearly all the Salukis showed flashes of brilliance in the win. Dalton Banks had four steals; Kyler Filewich had 9 points (on 57% shooting) and 5 rebounds in just 14 minutes; Anthony D'Avanzo had 8 points in 8 minutes. Newcomers Troy D'Amico, Scottie Ebube, and J.D. Muila brought the crowd to its feet -- D'Amico with hustle plays and offensive rebounds, Ebube with a monster blocked shot, and Muila by taking a charge.
Banterra Center has been a magical place for the Salukis over the years -- a 33-game home court winning streak from 2002-06; a 61-1 mark against MVC opponents at home from 2002-08; and most recently, a 10-game home court winning streak in the last season with fans in the stands, 2019-20, which culminated in Marcus Domask's buzzer-beater against Missouri State. Tonight, after 608 days away, the fans were excited to bring the magic back. The crowd of 4,087 was the biggest for an exhibition game at Banterra Center in at least 10 years.
"The home-court advantage is so important. When you get into Valley play, it's such a huge advantage," Mullins said. "The guys feed off the student section; they feed off the community; they feed off the S-I-U chants. It's part of what makes this place so special."
SIU's home opener is November 12 against Austin Peay. Season tickets, single-game tickets, and mini-plans are all available at the SIU ticket office, by calling 877-SALUKIS, or online at SIUSalukis.com/Tickets.
UP NEXT: SIU opens the 2021-22 regular season on November 9 at Little Rock. SIU's home opener -- the Charles Helleny Tip-Off Classic -- is November 12 vs. Austin Peay at Banterra Center.
"I want to thank the community and the student section for coming out. It meant a lot to us," SIU head coach Bryan Mullins said. "It was a great atmosphere, and our guys were so excited to put on the jersey and play. They love this place. They want to represent it the right way. I'm proud of how the guys competed."
The Salukis never trailed and pushed the lead to double-figures within the game's first seven minutes. Preseason All-MVC picks Marcus Domask and Lance Jones ignited the crowd. Domask was on triple-double watch in the first half with 7 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists at the break. Jones went 4-for-7 from the 3-point line in the first half and had a game-high 14 points before halftime.
"It was awesome. I had forgetten what it was like to play in front of Saluki Nation -- they were loud," Domask said. "There were a lot of people here for an exhibition game. We appreciate them. The first half, when we went on that run, they make it so easy to play so hard and give it your all when they're on their feet cheering."
"It was amazing. It's been a long time coming," Jones added. "We were focused on doing well for the fans, since it had been so long."
For SIU, the win was a complete team effort. All 13 available players played, and 10 scored. SIU outrebounded the Reddies by 15 and held Henderson State -- an upper-level Division II program with five-straight winning seasons -- to 39.1% from the field. The first half was particularly dominant; SIU went into halftime with a 42-21 lead and a dominant 25-9 edge on the boards. In the second half, Henderson State outscored SIU 31-24. The Reddies forced 10 SIU second-half turnovers, which led to a 13-3 advantage for HSU in points-off-turnovers after halftime.
"It was a tale of two halves," Mullins said. "In the first half, I thought guys were really focused and the ball was moving offensively. Defensively, we were taking away the paint. In the second half. we turned the ball over a lot, and that gave them a lot of opportunities. It's a lot of great film that we will be able to watch, show our guys, and get better from it for (the season opener vs.) Arkansas Little Rock."
Nearly all the Salukis showed flashes of brilliance in the win. Dalton Banks had four steals; Kyler Filewich had 9 points (on 57% shooting) and 5 rebounds in just 14 minutes; Anthony D'Avanzo had 8 points in 8 minutes. Newcomers Troy D'Amico, Scottie Ebube, and J.D. Muila brought the crowd to its feet -- D'Amico with hustle plays and offensive rebounds, Ebube with a monster blocked shot, and Muila by taking a charge.
Banterra Center has been a magical place for the Salukis over the years -- a 33-game home court winning streak from 2002-06; a 61-1 mark against MVC opponents at home from 2002-08; and most recently, a 10-game home court winning streak in the last season with fans in the stands, 2019-20, which culminated in Marcus Domask's buzzer-beater against Missouri State. Tonight, after 608 days away, the fans were excited to bring the magic back. The crowd of 4,087 was the biggest for an exhibition game at Banterra Center in at least 10 years.
"The home-court advantage is so important. When you get into Valley play, it's such a huge advantage," Mullins said. "The guys feed off the student section; they feed off the community; they feed off the S-I-U chants. It's part of what makes this place so special."
SIU's home opener is November 12 against Austin Peay. Season tickets, single-game tickets, and mini-plans are all available at the SIU ticket office, by calling 877-SALUKIS, or online at SIUSalukis.com/Tickets.
UP NEXT: SIU opens the 2021-22 regular season on November 9 at Little Rock. SIU's home opener -- the Charles Helleny Tip-Off Classic -- is November 12 vs. Austin Peay at Banterra Center.
Thank you Dawg Pound and all the great fans of Saluki nation!!! The atmosphere was amazing !! We need this every game ! https://t.co/iJSpaSovY2
— Lance Jones (@LanceBuckets) October 27, 2021
Dawg Pound had Banterra rocking tonight! Need this every game, y'all were awesome ?????? https://t.co/SsRS4LgHIj
— Marcus Domask (@marcusdomask1) October 27, 2021
Thank You! So great to be back in front of Saluki Nation! Just the beginning for this group, excited for the year! https://t.co/tHEaWk1hj0
— Bryan Mullins (@Bryan_Mullins_) October 27, 2021
Team Stats
HSU
SIU
FG%
.391
.431
3FG%
.500
.308
FT%
.588
.667
RB
23
38
TO
13
15
STL
10
9
Game Leaders
Pts
17
FGM
5
3FGM
5
FTM
2
Pts
12
FGM
4
3FGM
1
FTM
3
Pts
9
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
1
Pts
8
FGM
3
3FGM
1
FTM
1
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's BasketballF
/ Men's BasketballF
/ Men's Basketball
C
/ Men's BasketballC
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's Basketball
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