Southern Illinois University
10-4,2-1MVC
Belmont
9-5,2-1MVC
Recap | Strong Bench Play Pushes Salukis Past Belmont, 73-63
01/02/2024 | 10:12:00 | Men's Basketball
CARBONDALE, Ill. – Southern Illinois earned its fourth-straight victory Tuesday night after defeating Belmont 73-63 at Banterra Center. SIU's bench was able to outscore the Bruins 31-10 led by AJ Ferguson (15) and Scottie Ebube (12).
It was a back-and-forth battle in the opening frame as the defense headlined the half. The Salukis (10-4, 2-1 MVC) were able to open a five-point lead on the Bruins at the midway point as Ferguson scored eight quick points to give SIU an 18-13 lead.
Tied at 28 with 1:15 left in the half, Belmont was hit with a double technical against head coach Casey Alexander who was ejected from the game, allowing the Salukis to connect on four free throws and take a lead into the locker room.
Belmont (9-5, 2-1 MVC) started hot in the second half cutting into the SIU lead and eventually taking their largest lead of the night at 46-41 with 13 minutes remaining.
"We didn't start the second half off the right way, and they were able to make some plays," head coach Bryan Mullins said. "I think around the 12-minute mark the guys understood that time is ticking, and we have to make some plays and pick up our energy and defensive intensity."
That's exactly what the Salukis did as they were able to force Belmont into several contested shots and convert the opportunities on the other end. A key factor for the Salukis during the run was the play of big man Scottie Ebube. Ebube scored all 12 of his points in the final 20 minutes while tying a career-high with eight rebounds in the win.
"Scottie (Ebube) has been putting a lot of extra work in and it pays off – it always does," Mullins added after the game. "He was huge for us. Every time he scored for us the crowd went crazy and it gave us energy. Sometimes he scores off set plays but tonight he scored off offensive rebounds, playing out of actions and he was just able to find ways to get big baskets for us – he was huge."
Ferguson went for 15 points in 27 minutes of action. The guard shot 5-for-8 from the field and hit a pair of 3-pointers for the Dawgs while also pulling down five rebounds.
"He (AJ Ferguson) is going to be a really good player for us. He was playing great for us before the injury and he's starting to get his game rhythm back and he gives us another option for guys who can get paint touches off the bounce," Mullins said. "He drove the ball with confidence, and he was able to make some threes the last couple of games and that's going to open things up for him too."
Xavier Johnson led the Salukis with 18 points while shooting just 3-for-10 from the field. The Germantown, Md., native did not let his shooting affect his game though, dishing out eight assists while going 12-for-13 from the charity stripe.
SIU forward Clarence Rupert also scored in double-figures for the Salukis with 11 points in six boards in the win.
Malik Dia was a matchup nightmare for the Salukis, scoring 25 points on 10-of-17 from the floor. The big man had seven rebounds to lead the Bruins. Averaging nine 3-pointers as a team, SIU held the Bruins to just six triples in the win.
UP NEXT
The Salukis return to action on Saturday with a trip to Normal to faceoff with Illinois State. Tip is set for 6 p.m. from CEFCU Arena.
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