Southern Illinois University
12-4,4-1MVC
Valparaiso
4-12,0-5MVC
Recap | Men’s Basketball moves into first place after 77-68 win at Valparaiso
01/10/2024 | 9:13:00 | Men's Basketball
VALPARAISO, Ind. – Southern Illinois topped Valparaiso on Wednesday night, 77-68, extending its winning streak to six games and moving into a tie atop the Missouri Valley Conference standings.
When asked about the game postgame, head coach Bryan Mullins said, "It was huge. It's a tough place to come and play. I thought our guys had a good mindset heading into the game and played a really good first 20 minutes – probably as good as we've played both offensively and defensively. To be able to come out of here with a win was huge."
Senior guard Xavier Johnson led the Salukis (12-4, 4-1) with 22 points and seven assists. He scored eight of Southern's first 10 points, plus 10 of SIU's final 14.
Center Scottie Ebube gave SIU a lift off the bench with a powerful presence around the basket, scoring 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting. He had 11 in the first half to help the Salukis build a 44-24 lead at intermission.
Leading, 23-19, the Salukis ended the first half on a 21-5 run that featured a mix of inside scoring from Ebube, perimeter shooting from Troy D'Amico, and fast-break finishes by AJ Ferguson and Kennard Davis Jr.
"We were able to get some stops, push the ball in transition and get some pace," Mullins said of the first-half scoring run. "They are a really good offensive rebounding team, so I felt like if we were able to get some stops, we'd be able to push it and it helped us get some easy baskets in transition."
SIU played the majority of the second half with Johnson on the bench after he picked up his fourth foul with 16:47 left in the game. Trey Miller had a solid performance in relief, scoring four points and dishing two assists in 13 minutes.
"He (Trey Miller) played with poise, he got to the paint, he shared the ball and I thought he had some good looks that he didn't get to fall too," Mullins said. "He did a really outstanding job playing for consecutive minutes for a long time which is hard to do."
With Johnson out, Valpo slowly closed the deficit and came as close as nine, 62-53, with 5:46 to go, but Johnson returned to reel off eight-straight points to put the game out of reach.
The Salukis won the battle in the paint, outscoring Valpo 36-26 at the basket. The Salukis were also able to turn 12 Valpo turnovers into 18 points, many of which came in transition where the Dawgs outscored the Beacons 15-5.
UP NEXT
SIU is locked in a five-way tie for first place with Drake, Indiana State, Belmont, and Murray State. Next up for the Salukis is a critical showdown with preseason favorite Drake at the Banterra Center at 7 p.m. on Saturday. Tickets start at just $10 and can be purchased online by clicking HERE. Fans can also call 877-SALUKIS or visit the SIU Ticket Office during normal business hours.
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.
