Southern Illinois University
Murray State
Salukis looking for first Valley win in key matchup at Murray State
12/28/2025 | 3:02:00 | Men's Basketball
CARBONDALE, Ill. — Southern Illinois' Men's Basketball will look to head into the holiday on a positive note as it travels to Peoria to take on Bradley.
The Salukis (6-7, 0-2 MVC) take on the Racers (10-3, 2-0 MVC) at 6 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 21, in the CFSB Center in Murray, Ky.
Game Details
Matchup: SIU at Murray State
Time: 6 p.m.
Location: CFSB Center, Murray, Ky.
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SCOUTING THE RACERS
The Racers enter the night tied with Bradley for the longest running win streak in the Valley, with six victories in a row. Murray State last took down Valparaiso with an 85-79 victory on the road.
Highlighting the Racers' non-conference slate was a 115-100 win over Akron at the Jack Jones Classic in Henderson, Nev. The Racers scored 68 points in the second half en route to the victory.
Javon Jackson leads the Racers in scoring at 16.1 points per game, good for third in the MVC. The senior had a season-high 26 points at SMU on Nov. 11, and has been ultra-efficient as of late, putting in 18 points in just 16 minutes in the Dec. 21 win over Valparaiso.
They average 89.3 points per game as a team, 28th nationally and first in The Valley.
Defensively, the Racers allow 78.1 points per game, tied for 293rd in the NCAA and last in The Valley.
Murray State has a +11.23 scoring margin, fourth in The Valley.
The Racers rank No. 70 in the latest NET ratings and No. 96 in KenPom.
THE DAWGS
Eight Salukis average more than 16 minutes per game. Quel'Ron House leads the team with 14.7 points per game and is first in the MVC with 81 field goals made. Seven others average more than seven points, including Drew Steffe (9.6), Rolyns Aligbe (9.5), Damien Mayo Jr. (8.6), Davion Sykes (8.5), Prince Aligbe (7.8), Jalen Haynes (7.7) and Isaiah Stafford (7.6).
Sophomore Max Pikaar logged a season-high 25 minutes in an 83-54 win over UT Martin on Dec. 10, and leads the Salukis with nine blocks on the season.
SIU shot 41% (21-for-51) from three during its recent three-game win streak. (Little Rock, High Point, UT Martin)
Southern is shooting 48.7 percent from the field, which is 57th in the nation. They do most of their work inside the arc, making only 4.6 3-pointers per game, which is bottom five in the country.
SIU has been good on the boards, holding a +56 rebounding margin on the season. They are in the top 77 overall, averaging 39.3 rebounds per game. The Dawgs split up the work pretty evenly, with Rolyns Aligbe leading the way with 6.6 boards per game. Aligbe notched a double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds in the loss at Richmond on Dec. 13.
True freshman Jalen Haynes has seen his minutes spike recently, playing more than 20 minutes in six of the last eight games. He scored six, 10, 10, 10, 12, and 12 points in those contests, respectively.
SIU landed at No. 132 in the most recent NET ratings, sixth in the MVC.
LAST TIME OUT
SIU dropped a 73-69 contest to Bradley on Dec 21. Damien Mayo Jr. led the way with 18 points and four steals, while Rolyns Aligbe added 16 points and eight rebounds.
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.
