Sunday, February 25
Evansville, IN
1 PM
Southern Illinois University
19-10,11-7MVC
65
at
53
Evansville
15-14,6-12MVC
1
2
F
Southern Ill.
24
41
65
Evansville
26
27
53
Recap | Strong Second Half Pushes Salukis Past Evansville for Third-Straight Win, 65-53
02/25/2024 | 5:40:00 | Men's Basketball
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Southern Illinois outscored Evansville 41-27 in the second half to rally back for a 65-53 victory on the road at the Ford Center. The Salukis were led by Troy D'Amico's 17 points while Scottie Ebube and Xavier Johnson added 12 each SIU.
The Salukis (19-10, 11-7 MVC) keep pace in the MVC and stay in fourth place in the League standings with two games remaining in the regular season.
"We've played a ton of close games here. Whether we win or lose, the guys are understanding that the last four minutes how important every single possession is, especially offensively," head coach Bryan Mullins said. "In the second half, we did a much better job of valuing the ball and that is winning on the road. To be able to get some stops and execute on offense."
A Germantown, Maryland native, Johnson finished just two assists shy of a triple-double as he corralled the final rebound of the game for his tenth.
D'Amico scored all 17 of his points in the second half while Johnson scored 10 of his 12 points in the period.
Defensively the Salukis locked in in the final 20 minutes of play holding the Purple Aces to 9-for-25 from the field and just 1-for-7 from behind the arc. Southern used an 11-0 run to take a double-digit lead.
Tied at 35, it was the defense that sparked the 11-0 run for the Dawgs, specifically Ebube causing disruptions at the rim. The Salukis were able to get out in transition following a tipped pass by Ebube leading to a corner 3-pointer from Kennard Davis Jr.
SIU would again score in transition when D'Amico knocked down a 25-footer to make it a 43-35 game. Johnson capped off the run with a 3-pointer off an Evansville turnover to put the Salukis ahead 11.
The Aces would continue to fight though, cutting the Saluki lead to just two points with just over six minutes left to play. Johnson connected on three free throws and AJ Ferguson had a putback layup that turned the momentum and SIU would not look back.
Ebube finished with 12 points on 5-for-7 shooting. The big man made several key plays and was able to get several deflections and blocks that helped lead to the Salukis running in transition where SIU scored eight points.
"It's been different guys on different nights in terms of stepping up for us," Mullins said. "That's what you need in the Valley just because of the grind of the season. Scottie came off the bench and was big for us, especially in the first half."
Southern trailed the Aces 26-24 in what was a defensive battle in the first 20 minutes. Physical play took its toll on both squads but especially Xavier Johnson as the guard left the game for several minutes to go to the locker room.
Ebube led the Salukis with eight first-half points on 3-of-4 shooting. Davis Jr. added six points off the bench.
One of the top 3-point defending teams in the country Southern held Evansville to just 2-for-10 from behind the arc in the game.
Ben Humrichous had a team-high 11 points for the Aces on 3-of-12 shooting.
UP NEXT
The Salukis return to action on Wednesday night when the team faces Bradley on the road. Tip is scheduled for 7 p.m. from Carver Arena.
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.
The Salukis (19-10, 11-7 MVC) keep pace in the MVC and stay in fourth place in the League standings with two games remaining in the regular season.
"We've played a ton of close games here. Whether we win or lose, the guys are understanding that the last four minutes how important every single possession is, especially offensively," head coach Bryan Mullins said. "In the second half, we did a much better job of valuing the ball and that is winning on the road. To be able to get some stops and execute on offense."
A Germantown, Maryland native, Johnson finished just two assists shy of a triple-double as he corralled the final rebound of the game for his tenth.
D'Amico scored all 17 of his points in the second half while Johnson scored 10 of his 12 points in the period.
Defensively the Salukis locked in in the final 20 minutes of play holding the Purple Aces to 9-for-25 from the field and just 1-for-7 from behind the arc. Southern used an 11-0 run to take a double-digit lead.
Tied at 35, it was the defense that sparked the 11-0 run for the Dawgs, specifically Ebube causing disruptions at the rim. The Salukis were able to get out in transition following a tipped pass by Ebube leading to a corner 3-pointer from Kennard Davis Jr.
SIU would again score in transition when D'Amico knocked down a 25-footer to make it a 43-35 game. Johnson capped off the run with a 3-pointer off an Evansville turnover to put the Salukis ahead 11.
The Aces would continue to fight though, cutting the Saluki lead to just two points with just over six minutes left to play. Johnson connected on three free throws and AJ Ferguson had a putback layup that turned the momentum and SIU would not look back.
Ebube finished with 12 points on 5-for-7 shooting. The big man made several key plays and was able to get several deflections and blocks that helped lead to the Salukis running in transition where SIU scored eight points.
"It's been different guys on different nights in terms of stepping up for us," Mullins said. "That's what you need in the Valley just because of the grind of the season. Scottie came off the bench and was big for us, especially in the first half."
Southern trailed the Aces 26-24 in what was a defensive battle in the first 20 minutes. Physical play took its toll on both squads but especially Xavier Johnson as the guard left the game for several minutes to go to the locker room.
Ebube led the Salukis with eight first-half points on 3-of-4 shooting. Davis Jr. added six points off the bench.
One of the top 3-point defending teams in the country Southern held Evansville to just 2-for-10 from behind the arc in the game.
Ben Humrichous had a team-high 11 points for the Aces on 3-of-12 shooting.
UP NEXT
The Salukis return to action on Wednesday night when the team faces Bradley on the road. Tip is scheduled for 7 p.m. from Carver Arena.
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
SIU
Evans
FG%
.412
.375
3FG%
.286
.200
FT%
.750
.750
RB
34
32
TO
11
14
STL
6
5
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
17
FGM
5
3FGM
3
FTM
4
Pts
12
FGM
5
3FGM
0
FTM
2
Pts
12
FGM
3
3FGM
1
FTM
5
Pts
9
FGM
3
3FGM
1
FTM
2
Players Mentioned
F
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