Wednesday, January 24
Carbondale, IL
7 PM
Southern Illinois University
13-7,5-4MVC
75
vs
69
Valparaiso
6-14,2-7MVC
1
2
F
Valparaiso
34
35
69
Southern Ill.
29
46
75
Photo by: Saluki Athletic Communications
Recap | Strong Second Half Pushes Salukis Past Valparaiso
01/24/2024 | 10:12:00 | Men's Basketball
The Salukis had a trio of double-digit scorers led by Xavier Johnson who led all scorers with 27.
CARBONDALE, Ill. – Southern Illinois outscored Valparaiso 46-35 in the second half en route to a 75-69 victory Wednesday night inside Banterra Center. The Salukis had a trio of double-digit scorers led by Xavier Johnson who led all scorers with 27.
"It was a great response coming out in the second half and it started with Trent (Brown) and Xavier (Johnson) diving on the floor and getting some loose balls," head coach Bryan Mullins said. "The body language really changed once we were able to win those 50-50 plays and guys played with great energy and great togetherness in the first 10 minutes of the second half."
Southern (13-7, 5-4 MVC) went into the locker room at halftime trailing Valpo 34-29 after shooting 44 percent from the field and just 3-for-14 from behind the arc. Brown kept the Salukis within striking distance with nine points while true freshman Kennard Davis Jr. added seven for SIU. The Beacon defense held Johnson to just two points on 1-for-5 shooting in the first half of action, but the guard was able to dish out four assists.
Another bright spot for the Salukis in the first half was the play of Clarence Rupert who continues to show dominance on the boards, grabbing six rebounds to go with six points in 11 minutes in the first.
"It's been a tough week. We didn't play our best in the first 20 minutes," Mullins added. "It's a test of our guy's character to respond in the second half. I told them we are better than what we are showing – we have to impose our will in the second half and to have our two fifth-year guys step up and make those plays – that's what veterans are supposed to do."
Southern took action after the break, diving on loose balls and forcing Valpo into tough shots over the first 10 minutes as SIU reeled off a 23-3 run to regain the lead and never look back.
Johnson was dominant during the stretch, scoring 14 points over the spurt for the Salukis to help SIU to a 52-39 lead with just over 12 minutes left to play.
The Salukis were able to get a strong performance from Troy D'Amico who finished the game with 13 points, including 10 in the second half. The Chicago native was 4-for-7 from behind the arc while also recording four rebounds.
Brown finished with 14 points for the Salukis while AJ Ferguson picked up eight rebounds and a trio of assists – 11 of which came in the second half.
Southern forced the Beacons into 10 turnovers which they were able to convert into 17 points.
Cooper Schwieger (20) and Isaiah Stafford (16) led the way for the Beacons. Schweiger scored 13 of his 20 in the second half.
UP NEXT
The Salukis hit the road to faceoff with Murray State on Saturday. The game will tip at 1 p.m. on NBC Sports Chicago/Bally Sports and ESPN Plus.
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/SIUBasketball. Fans can also download the "Salukis" Mobile App on the App Store or Google Play Store.
"It was a great response coming out in the second half and it started with Trent (Brown) and Xavier (Johnson) diving on the floor and getting some loose balls," head coach Bryan Mullins said. "The body language really changed once we were able to win those 50-50 plays and guys played with great energy and great togetherness in the first 10 minutes of the second half."
Southern (13-7, 5-4 MVC) went into the locker room at halftime trailing Valpo 34-29 after shooting 44 percent from the field and just 3-for-14 from behind the arc. Brown kept the Salukis within striking distance with nine points while true freshman Kennard Davis Jr. added seven for SIU. The Beacon defense held Johnson to just two points on 1-for-5 shooting in the first half of action, but the guard was able to dish out four assists.
Another bright spot for the Salukis in the first half was the play of Clarence Rupert who continues to show dominance on the boards, grabbing six rebounds to go with six points in 11 minutes in the first.
"It's been a tough week. We didn't play our best in the first 20 minutes," Mullins added. "It's a test of our guy's character to respond in the second half. I told them we are better than what we are showing – we have to impose our will in the second half and to have our two fifth-year guys step up and make those plays – that's what veterans are supposed to do."
Southern took action after the break, diving on loose balls and forcing Valpo into tough shots over the first 10 minutes as SIU reeled off a 23-3 run to regain the lead and never look back.
Johnson was dominant during the stretch, scoring 14 points over the spurt for the Salukis to help SIU to a 52-39 lead with just over 12 minutes left to play.
The Salukis were able to get a strong performance from Troy D'Amico who finished the game with 13 points, including 10 in the second half. The Chicago native was 4-for-7 from behind the arc while also recording four rebounds.
Brown finished with 14 points for the Salukis while AJ Ferguson picked up eight rebounds and a trio of assists – 11 of which came in the second half.
Southern forced the Beacons into 10 turnovers which they were able to convert into 17 points.
Cooper Schwieger (20) and Isaiah Stafford (16) led the way for the Beacons. Schweiger scored 13 of his 20 in the second half.
UP NEXT
The Salukis hit the road to faceoff with Murray State on Saturday. The game will tip at 1 p.m. on NBC Sports Chicago/Bally Sports and ESPN Plus.
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/SIUBasketball. Fans can also download the "Salukis" Mobile App on the App Store or Google Play Store.
Team Stats
VALPO
SIU
FG%
.441
.471
3FG%
.389
.318
FT%
.556
.769
RB
31
38
TO
10
10
STL
7
6
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
27
FGM
7
3FGM
1
FTM
12
Pts
14
FGM
5
3FGM
1
FTM
3
Pts
13
FGM
4
3FGM
4
FTM
1
Pts
8
FGM
3
3FGM
0
FTM
2
Players Mentioned
F
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's BasketballF
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