Sunday, January 1
Carbondale, IL
4 PM
Southern Illinois University
vs
Belmont
Salukis Host Belmont in New Year’s Day Saluki Bash Sunday on ESPNU
12/19/2022 | 7:00:00 | Men's Basketball
The game will feature the largest balloon drop in Southern Illinois history during halftime.
CARBONDALE, Ill. — Saluki Athletics is throwing a party at the Banterra Center on New Year's Day, and everyone's invited!
SIU will host the first-ever New Year's Day Saluki Bash, when its men's basketball program hosts Belmont in a nationally televised game on Jan. 1, at 4 p.m.
The game will feature the largest balloon drop in Southern Illinois history during halftime, as well as festive New Year's concession items, such as champagne, sparkling wine, holiday punch, winter sangria, cranberry mimosas and mini-bundt cakes. Doors open at 3 p.m. and the first 1,000 fans to enter the Banterra Center will receive a free, Grey Dawg bobblehead.
Fans are encouraged to wear white, as the game is billed as SIU's annual White Out contest.
A key, early-season showdown between two teams projected to be Missouri Valley Conference title contenders, the game was recently selected for a nationwide audience on ESPNU.
To help pack the arena, Saluki Athletics will offer daily ticket specials. A limited number of tickets in bleacher-seating sections will be released to the public at ultra-discounted pricing. Fans must purchase the tickets on-line at SIUSalukis.com/promo by entering the designated promo code. Promo codes are available until the allotment has been sold.
Discounted tickets are only available on-line at SIUSalukis.com/promo. There is an eight-ticket limit per order, and a $4 service charge will be added to each order.
$1 tickets (enter promo code "ONE") -- None Remaining
$2 tickets (enter promo code "TWO") -- None Remaining
50% off select lower bowl seats + specialty drink coupon (enter promo code "FIFTY")
$3 tickets (enter promo code "THREE")
$4 tickets (enter promo code "FOUR")
$5 tickets (enter promo code "FIVE")
$6 tickets (enter promo code "SIX")
THE BROADCAST
• The game will be available nationally on ESPNU and the Watch ESPN App with Clay Matvick calling the action and Kevin Lehman serving as analyst.
• The radio broadcast can be heard on the Saluki Radio Network with SIU Hall of Famer Mike Reis (play-by-play) and Greg Starrick (analyst) on the call.
QUICK HITS
• Winners of five-straight games, Southern Illinois hosts new Missouri Valley Conference foe Belmont to ring in 2023.
• Belmont is in its first season in the Missouri Valley Conference and has only played SIU one time in program history. The Bruins made the trip to Carbondale during the 2001-02 season for the regular season opener with SIU winning 82-71 -- the same season SIU finished 28-8 with a trip to the Sweet 16 led by Kent Williams, Rolan Roberts and Jermaine Dearman.
• The Salukis are 8-2 on games played on New Year's Day. The last game to open the new calendar year came during the 2016-17 season when SIU hosted Drake, defeating the Bulldogs, 83-69.
• SIU snapped Murray State's 20-game homecourt streak -- the seventh-longest in the nation at the time -- with a 63-57 victory last time out.
• SIU's four turnovers against Murray State is the fewest for the Salukis in a game since the 2017-18 season when Southern turned the ball over four times against Duquesne.
• Marcus Domask has scored 20 or more points in four games this season, including his last two outings. Domask had 20 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists in a road win at Murray State.
• Lance Jones leads the Salukis with 32 3-pointers this season. The senior has made 167 threes over his career to rank eighth in program history.
Marcus Domask and Lance Jones combined to score the final 20 points against Murray State.
• As a team, SIU has 208 assists in 14 games. The 14.9 assists per game rank third in the MVC. Domask leads the team with 3.5 assists per game while Jones is averaging 3.1 per game. Six Salukis have 10 or more assists.
• SIU's 61.6 points allowed per game is second in the MVC and 38th nationally.
• The Salukis are holding opponents to just 30.1 percent from behind the arc -- ranking fourth in the MVC and 70th nationally.
• SIU's 7.9 steals per game is second in the MVC. Lance Jones leads the team with 1.71 steals per game and has recorded multiple steals in eight games with a career-high six coming against Evansville.
• Marcus Domask (24th-1,312) and Lance Jones (25th-1,252) each rank in the top-25 in program history in points scored.
• Marcus Domask sits 15th in SIU history with 280 assists -- needing just one assist to tie Kendal Brown-Surles. Domask ranks 10th in school history, averaging 3.2 assists in 87 career games. He has multiple assists in all but two games this season.
• Clarence Rupert is shooting 70.3 percent (45-64) -- the best of any Saluki with more than 10 attempts. The forward has shot 100 percent from the field in three games this season, including a pair of 6-for-6 outings.
• With the win over Alcorn State, head coach Bryan Mullins picked up his 50th career win at Southern Illinois. He is the 11th coach in program history to reach 50 wins.
• After a hand injury in the season opener, big man Scottie Ebube has been cleared to return to practice.
• The Salukis are receiving votes in the latest CollegeInsider.com men's basketball mid-major poll.
THE MATCHUP
• It will mark just the second time that Southern Illinois and Belmont have met on the hardwood. The Salukis hosted Belmont in its regular season opener in 2001, defeating the Bruins 82-71. Jermaine Dearman led the Salukis with 18 points while Darren Brooks dropped in 14 points for the Dawgs.
• Belmont enters the contest at 9-5 and winners of their last three games, including a 63-60 victory over Bradley during its last outing. The second-best scoring offense in the MVC, Belmont averages 76.1 points per contest and is led by preseason All-MVC guard Ben Sheppard who is scoring 18 points per game to go with 4.6 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game. Cade Tyson (13.8) and Drew Friberg (13.7) join Sheppard in double digits. BU shoots 46.6 percent from the field and 41.4 percent from behind the arc -- the best in the MVC by nearly six percent.
Keep up with all the latest news and information on the Salukis by following the team on Twitter at @SIU_Basketball, on Instagram at @SIU_Basketball and on Facebook at Facebook.com/SalukiAthletics. Fans can also download the "Salukis" Mobile App on the App Store or Google Play Store.
SIU will host the first-ever New Year's Day Saluki Bash, when its men's basketball program hosts Belmont in a nationally televised game on Jan. 1, at 4 p.m.
The game will feature the largest balloon drop in Southern Illinois history during halftime, as well as festive New Year's concession items, such as champagne, sparkling wine, holiday punch, winter sangria, cranberry mimosas and mini-bundt cakes. Doors open at 3 p.m. and the first 1,000 fans to enter the Banterra Center will receive a free, Grey Dawg bobblehead.
Fans are encouraged to wear white, as the game is billed as SIU's annual White Out contest.
A key, early-season showdown between two teams projected to be Missouri Valley Conference title contenders, the game was recently selected for a nationwide audience on ESPNU.
To help pack the arena, Saluki Athletics will offer daily ticket specials. A limited number of tickets in bleacher-seating sections will be released to the public at ultra-discounted pricing. Fans must purchase the tickets on-line at SIUSalukis.com/promo by entering the designated promo code. Promo codes are available until the allotment has been sold.
Discounted tickets are only available on-line at SIUSalukis.com/promo. There is an eight-ticket limit per order, and a $4 service charge will be added to each order.
$1 tickets (enter promo code "ONE") -- None Remaining
$2 tickets (enter promo code "TWO") -- None Remaining
50% off select lower bowl seats + specialty drink coupon (enter promo code "FIFTY")
$3 tickets (enter promo code "THREE")
$4 tickets (enter promo code "FOUR")
$5 tickets (enter promo code "FIVE")
$6 tickets (enter promo code "SIX")
THE BROADCAST
• The game will be available nationally on ESPNU and the Watch ESPN App with Clay Matvick calling the action and Kevin Lehman serving as analyst.
• The radio broadcast can be heard on the Saluki Radio Network with SIU Hall of Famer Mike Reis (play-by-play) and Greg Starrick (analyst) on the call.
QUICK HITS
• Winners of five-straight games, Southern Illinois hosts new Missouri Valley Conference foe Belmont to ring in 2023.
• Belmont is in its first season in the Missouri Valley Conference and has only played SIU one time in program history. The Bruins made the trip to Carbondale during the 2001-02 season for the regular season opener with SIU winning 82-71 -- the same season SIU finished 28-8 with a trip to the Sweet 16 led by Kent Williams, Rolan Roberts and Jermaine Dearman.
• The Salukis are 8-2 on games played on New Year's Day. The last game to open the new calendar year came during the 2016-17 season when SIU hosted Drake, defeating the Bulldogs, 83-69.
• SIU snapped Murray State's 20-game homecourt streak -- the seventh-longest in the nation at the time -- with a 63-57 victory last time out.
• SIU's four turnovers against Murray State is the fewest for the Salukis in a game since the 2017-18 season when Southern turned the ball over four times against Duquesne.
• Marcus Domask has scored 20 or more points in four games this season, including his last two outings. Domask had 20 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists in a road win at Murray State.
• Lance Jones leads the Salukis with 32 3-pointers this season. The senior has made 167 threes over his career to rank eighth in program history.
Marcus Domask and Lance Jones combined to score the final 20 points against Murray State.
• As a team, SIU has 208 assists in 14 games. The 14.9 assists per game rank third in the MVC. Domask leads the team with 3.5 assists per game while Jones is averaging 3.1 per game. Six Salukis have 10 or more assists.
• SIU's 61.6 points allowed per game is second in the MVC and 38th nationally.
• The Salukis are holding opponents to just 30.1 percent from behind the arc -- ranking fourth in the MVC and 70th nationally.
• SIU's 7.9 steals per game is second in the MVC. Lance Jones leads the team with 1.71 steals per game and has recorded multiple steals in eight games with a career-high six coming against Evansville.
• Marcus Domask (24th-1,312) and Lance Jones (25th-1,252) each rank in the top-25 in program history in points scored.
• Marcus Domask sits 15th in SIU history with 280 assists -- needing just one assist to tie Kendal Brown-Surles. Domask ranks 10th in school history, averaging 3.2 assists in 87 career games. He has multiple assists in all but two games this season.
• Clarence Rupert is shooting 70.3 percent (45-64) -- the best of any Saluki with more than 10 attempts. The forward has shot 100 percent from the field in three games this season, including a pair of 6-for-6 outings.
• With the win over Alcorn State, head coach Bryan Mullins picked up his 50th career win at Southern Illinois. He is the 11th coach in program history to reach 50 wins.
• After a hand injury in the season opener, big man Scottie Ebube has been cleared to return to practice.
• The Salukis are receiving votes in the latest CollegeInsider.com men's basketball mid-major poll.
THE MATCHUP
• It will mark just the second time that Southern Illinois and Belmont have met on the hardwood. The Salukis hosted Belmont in its regular season opener in 2001, defeating the Bruins 82-71. Jermaine Dearman led the Salukis with 18 points while Darren Brooks dropped in 14 points for the Dawgs.
• Belmont enters the contest at 9-5 and winners of their last three games, including a 63-60 victory over Bradley during its last outing. The second-best scoring offense in the MVC, Belmont averages 76.1 points per contest and is led by preseason All-MVC guard Ben Sheppard who is scoring 18 points per game to go with 4.6 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game. Cade Tyson (13.8) and Drew Friberg (13.7) join Sheppard in double digits. BU shoots 46.6 percent from the field and 41.4 percent from behind the arc -- the best in the MVC by nearly six percent.
Keep up with all the latest news and information on the Salukis by following the team on Twitter at @SIU_Basketball, on Instagram at @SIU_Basketball and on Facebook at Facebook.com/SalukiAthletics. Fans can also download the "Salukis" Mobile App on the App Store or Google Play Store.
Players Mentioned
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