Wednesday, February 21
Carbondale, IL
7 PM
Southern Illinois University
18-10,10-7MVC
72
vs
68
Murray State
11-17,8-9MVC
1
2
F
Murray St.
29
39
68
Southern Ill.
41
31
72
Photo by: Saluki Athletic Communications
Recap | D’Amico Ties Career High as Salukis Defeat Racers at Home, 72-68
02/21/2024 | 10:16:00 | Men's Basketball
CARBONDALE, Ill. – Southern Illinois earned the season sweep of Murray State Wednesday night at Banterra Center after staving off the Racers for a 72-68 victory. With the win, the Salukis move into sole possession of fourth place in the standings with three games remaining to play before Arch Madness.
"I'm really proud of this team. To be able to find a way to win tonight when things weren't going our way at times and to be able to respond when they got some momentum in the second half," head coach Bryan Mullins said. "For us to be able to get some big stops and have different guys step up and make big plays for us it was a total team win."
The Salukis (18-10, 10-7 MVC) were led offensively by junior Troy D'Amico who was able to tie his career high with 20 points. D'Amico was instrumental in the offensive efficiency for SIU in the first half as he was able to connect on 6-of-8 from the field for 15 of Southern's 39 points in the first 20 minutes. The 6-foot-7 forward knocked down four of SIU's 10 shots from behind the arc.
"When Troy is playing downhill and cutting and being physical with his drives it opens so much because he can shoot the ball," Mullins said. "When he's doing things without the basketball it makes us a better team. He was big time for us, especially in the first half."
Southern also got big-time performances from big men Scottie Ebube and Jarrett Hensley who played extended minutes in the absence of Clarence Rupert who missed the game due to illness.
Hensley (15) and Ebube (6) combined for 21 points and three blocks in the win. Hensley was able to score 11 of his 15 in the second half including the go-ahead putback layup with 39 seconds left to play.
Johnson was held to just seven points – the lowest points total of the season for the guard – but he was still able to affect the game with a game-high nine assists and five steals.
SIU led 39-31 at the half but Murray State would use a 7-0 run out of the locker room to get back into the game quickly. The Salukis would right the ship until the midway point of the second half when the Racers began a 13-3 run that was capped off by Nick Ellington's dunk to give MSU its first lead since the opening moments of the first at 60-59 with 8:04 left.
The Salukis would regain that lead three minutes later on Trent Brown's 3-pointer at the top of the key – one of three triples for the graduate guard.
Tied at 66 with under a minute remaining the Salukis would get a putback layup from Hensley to go up two.
The Salukis would get back-to-back defensive stops and free throws from Kennard Davis Jr. and Hensley to secure the win.
SIU assisted on 18 of their 26 made baskets and turned 15 Racer turnovers into 17 points while MSU scored just five points off turnovers.
JaCobi Wood had a team-high 17 points to lead the Racers while Quincy Anderson added 15.
UP NEXT
The Salukis hit the road for a Sunday afternoon matchup with the Aces in Evansville. Tipoff at the Ford Center is set for 1 p.m. CT. The game will air on NBC Sports Chicago Plus as well as 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.
"I'm really proud of this team. To be able to find a way to win tonight when things weren't going our way at times and to be able to respond when they got some momentum in the second half," head coach Bryan Mullins said. "For us to be able to get some big stops and have different guys step up and make big plays for us it was a total team win."
The Salukis (18-10, 10-7 MVC) were led offensively by junior Troy D'Amico who was able to tie his career high with 20 points. D'Amico was instrumental in the offensive efficiency for SIU in the first half as he was able to connect on 6-of-8 from the field for 15 of Southern's 39 points in the first 20 minutes. The 6-foot-7 forward knocked down four of SIU's 10 shots from behind the arc.
"When Troy is playing downhill and cutting and being physical with his drives it opens so much because he can shoot the ball," Mullins said. "When he's doing things without the basketball it makes us a better team. He was big time for us, especially in the first half."
Southern also got big-time performances from big men Scottie Ebube and Jarrett Hensley who played extended minutes in the absence of Clarence Rupert who missed the game due to illness.
Hensley (15) and Ebube (6) combined for 21 points and three blocks in the win. Hensley was able to score 11 of his 15 in the second half including the go-ahead putback layup with 39 seconds left to play.
Johnson was held to just seven points – the lowest points total of the season for the guard – but he was still able to affect the game with a game-high nine assists and five steals.
SIU led 39-31 at the half but Murray State would use a 7-0 run out of the locker room to get back into the game quickly. The Salukis would right the ship until the midway point of the second half when the Racers began a 13-3 run that was capped off by Nick Ellington's dunk to give MSU its first lead since the opening moments of the first at 60-59 with 8:04 left.
The Salukis would regain that lead three minutes later on Trent Brown's 3-pointer at the top of the key – one of three triples for the graduate guard.
Tied at 66 with under a minute remaining the Salukis would get a putback layup from Hensley to go up two.
The Salukis would get back-to-back defensive stops and free throws from Kennard Davis Jr. and Hensley to secure the win.
SIU assisted on 18 of their 26 made baskets and turned 15 Racer turnovers into 17 points while MSU scored just five points off turnovers.
JaCobi Wood had a team-high 17 points to lead the Racers while Quincy Anderson added 15.
UP NEXT
The Salukis hit the road for a Sunday afternoon matchup with the Aces in Evansville. Tipoff at the Ford Center is set for 1 p.m. CT. The game will air on NBC Sports Chicago Plus as well as 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
MUR
SIU
FG%
.519
.491
3FG%
.455
.435
FT%
.692
.833
RB
28
27
TO
15
11
STL
5
10
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
20
FGM
8
3FGM
4
FTM
0
Pts
15
FGM
6
3FGM
1
FTM
2
Pts
11
FGM
3
3FGM
3
FTM
2
Pts
8
FGM
3
3FGM
0
FTM
2
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's BasketballF
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's Basketball
C
/ Men's BasketballF
/ Men's Basketball
F
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