Preview | Salukis Travel to Austin Peay for Saturday Game with Govs

CARBONDALE, Ill. – Southern Illinois basketball returns to action on Saturday, December 14, when the team takes on Austin Peay on the road. Tipoff with the Governors is scheduled for 4 p.m. from F&M Bank Arena in Clarksville, Tennessee.

ESPN+ Broadcast | Radio Broadcast | Live Stats | SIU Game Notes | Live Updates on X

HOW TO FOLLOW

The ESPN Plus broadcast team is Barry Gresham and Ethan Schmit.
The radio broadcast can be heard locally on 101.5 CIL-FM, on the Saluki Radio Network, SIUSalukis.com/Listen, the Saluki Mobile App, and the Varsity Network App with Luke Martin and Rodney Watson calling the action.
Fans can follow Live Stats at SIUSalukis.com.

QUICK HITS

Kennard Davis Jr. and Ali Dibba picked up Third Team Preseason All-MVC honors.
SIU was picked to finish seventh in the Missouri Valley Conference Preseason Poll.
Kennard Davis Jr. leads the Salukis with 14.8 points per game to go along with 4.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists. Ali Dibba has scored 10 or more points in all but one game this season. The senior guard put in a career high 26 points against Eastern Kentucky with 24 of the 26 points coming in the second half.
Jarrett Hensley has recorded back-to-back doubles doubles for the Salukis -- the first double-doubles of his career. Hensley had 12 points and 12 rebounds against Bradley while going for 16 points and 11 rebounds against Southern Indiana. On the year he is averaging 10.6 points and seven rebounds for the Salukis.
The Salukis rank second in the MVC in rebounding with 38.6 per game. Last season SIU ranked 12 in the MVC with 33 rebounds per game.
Kennard Davis Jr. leads the MVC and ranks 21st nationally in steals with 24. The second-year guard has surpassed his steals total from last season (22) with 24 in 10 games.
SIU is averaging 12 fast break points per game this season to rank third in the MVC.

LOOKING AT AUSTIN PEAY

Austin Peay comes into play at 4-5 on the season and has dropped five of their last six games after beginning the season 3-0 with a win over Butler.
The Govs were picked to finish second in the ASUN Preseason Poll behind Lipscomb and are led by second-year head coach Corey Gipson.
LJ Thomas leads APSU with 18.1 points, 4.4 rebounds, and three assists per game.

SERIES HISTORY WITH THE GOVS

Southern Illinois leads the series with Austin Peay 11-7 and has won seven of the last 10 meetings between the two programs.

APSU took last season's game in Carbondale after a second-half rally, going ahead for the final time on an offensive putback with 47 seconds remaining to win the game and snap SIU's 24-game home nonconference winning streak.
Kennard Davis Jr. had nine points on a trio of 3-pointers and eight rebounds in the loss.

LAST TIME OUT
Three Salukis scored in double-figures as Southern Illinois defeated Southern Indiana, 73-70, last Saturday at home. The Salukis were led by Ali Dibba's team-high 19 points while Jarrett Hensley recorded his second-consecutive double double with 16 points and 11 rebounds. Sophomore guard Kennard Davis Jr. added 11 points to score in double-digits for the ninth time this season.

INTO THE THICK OF IT
Sheridan Sharp planned to redshirt this season but was pushed into the rotation following an injury to Elijah Elliott. The sophomore had a breakout week in Florida, averaging eight points, four rebounds and 3.3 assists in three games. He put up a career-high 12 points to go with four assists in a win over Florida Tech.

ELLIOTT OUT FOR SEASON
The Salukis lost their leading scorer in senior Elijah Elliott due to an ACL tear during the Florida game. The 6-foot-1 guard averaged 14 points, 3.4 rebounds, and one steal in five games for the Salukis, including four starts at point guard.

NAGY TOP-20 IN CAREER WINS
Nagy brings 30 years of head coaching experience to Carbondale and has recorded 14 straight winning seasons while at the helm of both South Dakota State and Wright State. Nagy ranks No. 17 in wins (581) among active Division I head coaches.

FOLLOW THE SALUKIS
Keep up with all the latest news and information on the Salukis by visiting SIUSalukis.com as well as following the team on X at @SIU_Basketball, Instagram at @SIU_Basketball, and Facebook at Facebook.com/SIUBasketball. Fans can also download the "Salukis" mobile app from the App Store or Google Play Store.

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