Preview | Salukis Host Oklahoma State Tuesday at Banterra Center

CARBONDALE, Ill. – For the first time since the 2007-08 season, Southern Illinois men's basketball will play host to a Power Five opponent as Oklahoma State comes to town Tuesday night. Tipoff with the Cowboys is set for 8 p.m. as Banterra Center will be brought to a national audience on CBS Sports Network.

WHERE TO WATCH AND LISTEN
• The game will be available nationally on CBS Sports Network with Dave Ryan (play-by-play) and Tre Demps (analyst) calling the action.
• The radio broadcast can be heard on the Saluki Radio Network, SIUSalukis.com/Listen, the Saluki Mobile App, and the Varsity Network App with Luke Martin (play-by-play) and Rodney Watson (analyst) on the call.

QUICK HITS
• The Salukis rank 23rd nationally and second in the MVC in effective field goal percent at 57.2 percent.
• Southern is shooting 40.4 percent from behind the arc -- ranking 13th nationally.
• SIU is holding opponents to 26.3 percent from 3-point range -- 16th-best nationally.
• Xavier Johnson ranks fourth in the country in scoring at 23.1 points per game.
• Xavier Johnson has scored 16 or more in all seven games this season -- the longest of his career.
• Xavier Johnson leads the MVC with a 92.6 percent mark (50-54) from the free throw line.
• Trent Brown is shooting 52.9 percent from behind the arc -- the fourth-best percentage in the nation.
• SIU leads the MVC with 16 made free throws per game -- SIU shoots 71.3 percent (112-157) as a team.

THE MATCHUP
• Oklahoma State enters play at 3-4 overall and has four double-digit scorers on the roster. The Cowboys are led by Javon Small with 15.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game while Bryce Thompson is scoring 12.5 points per game in three starts. OSU ranks fourth in the Big 12 with 26 3-point attempts per game. The Cowboys are averaging 75 points per game while holding opponents to 68.3 points on the defensive end. OSU holds wins over Sam Houston, New Orleans, and Houston Christian.

THE SERIES
• Southern Illinois is 5-2 all-time against Oklahoma State. The Salukis went to Stillwater last season and knocked off the Cowboys 61-60 behind 19 points from Lance Jones and 16 from Marcus Domask. The game will mark the first Power Five opponent Southern Illinois has hosted since 2007-08 – a win over Oklahoma State in the NIT. Indiana also came to SIU during the same season. The teams also met in the NCAA Tournament in 2004-05 with OSU winning that game 85-77.

BANTERRA MAGIC
Southern Illinois extended its program-record nonconference home winning streak to 23 games when the Salukis defeated Saint Louis last time out. SIU entered the year (19-straight) tied for the longest nonconference home winning streak which happened under the direction of head coaches Bruce Weber and Matt Painter from 1999-2003.

LAST TIME OUT
• The Salukis tied the program record after knocking down 18 3-pointers against SLU. SIU also hit 16 threes earlier this year against New Mexico State.
• SIU set a new season high in assists with 25 against SLU -- six Salukis had multiple assists led by Xavier Johnson who had seven. Trent Brown had six dimes.
• After scoring 31, Johnson has two 30+ point games.
• It was the first time that SIU scored 100 or more points since December 6, 2020 (Quincy) and the first time that SIU has scored over 100 against a Division I opponent since 1998 against Missouri State.
• It was the first time that Saint Louis had allowed 100 points since 1992.
• Five Salukis scored in double-digits -- the second time this season that it has happened (vs Kentucky St).

TICKET INFORMATION
Single game tickets and Mini Plans are available by calling 877-SALUKIS, visiting SIUSalukis.com/Tickets or by visiting the SIU Ticket Office during normal business hours.

PROMOTIONS
• Maroon Out!! -- Fans are encouraged to wear maroon for the game.
• Remember, at all Saluki men's basketball games, kids are invited down to the court for pregame starting lineups. To participate, bring your child to the floor in front of Section 107 10 minutes before tipoff and look for Brown or Grey Dawg.

• Saluki Athletics and the City of Carbondale Police Department have partnered again this holiday season for the annual "Coats for Kids" coat drive. Fans are encouraged to donate new coats for boys and girls, ages 1-10, in an effort to help our Southern Illinois neighbors in need during the cold winter months. The donated coats will benefit the children served by the Carbondale Police Department Community Christmas Store.

Any fan who donates a coat can request a free game ticket at the SIU Ticket Office for the men's basketball game vs. North Dakota State on December 19.
- Collection Dates
  - 12/5 - Men's Basketball vs Oklahoma State @ 8 p.m.
  - 12/6 - Women's Basketball vs SIUE @ 11 a.m.
  - 12/9 - Women's Basketball vs Saint Louis @ 4 p.m.

• Fans will also be able to get a glimpse of a state-of-the-art video board which was installed over the Thanksgiving holiday. More information can be found HERE.

FOLLOW THE SALUKIS
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.

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