Southern Illinois University
UT Martin
Salukis Take Aim at Skyhawks on Wednesday Night
12/09/2025 | 10:01:00 | Men's Basketball
CARBONDALE — Winners of their last two games, the Southern Illinois men's basketball team enters Wednesday with momentum. A victory over UT Martin would turn that momentum into a three-game winning streak.
The Salukis (5-4) face the Skyhawks (7-2) at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 10, at Banterra Center in Carbondale.
Southern won its last game Dec. 3 on the road against High Point, 86-84, with a last-second layup by Davion Sykes. The Salukis trailed by 12 at halftime but rallied behind a 22-point second-half effort from Damien Mayo Jr. to top the Panthers. Before that, they defeated Little Rock, 74-65, on Nov. 29 in Carbondale. The Trojans were the preseason No. 1 pick in the Ohio Valley Conference, of which UT Martin is also a member. The Skyhawks were picked No. 8.
Game DetailsMatchup: SIU vs. UT Martin
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: Banterra Center, Carbondale
Live Stats: Saluk.is/3KLpt0q
Watch on ESPN+: Saluk.is/3YeB3nZ
Listen: Saluk.is/48WCQVn
App: Saluk.is/SalukisApp
Ticket promotions
Wednesday is Youth Sports Night at Banterra Center. Tickets are $5 for children who participate in youth sports programs at Saluk.is/Youth. Kids are encouraged to wear their jerseys or uniforms to be featured on the videoboard.
SIU Athletics also announced a "Dawgs Win, You Win" promotion. If the Salukis beat the Skyhawks, anyone who purchased a full-price ticket will automatically receive a free ticket to the Thursday, Dec. 18, game against Illinois State. Purchase your ticket here.
Scouting the Skyhawks
UT Martin features an international roster, with 11 of 14 players from outside the United States. Leading scorer and rebounder Andrija Bukumirovic, a 6-foot-7 guard/forward from Serbia, averages 15.3 points and 9.3 rebounds. Other top scorers include Matas Denlusas (14.7) of Lithuania and Dragos Lungu (13.8) of Romania. Denlusas is a 6-foot-9 freshman, while Lungu is a 6-6 redshirt sophomore.
Players also hail from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Gambia, Portugal, Russia, Senegal, Slovenia, and Spain. Southern Illinois native Charlie King, a junior guard/forward from Ozark, transferred from Southeastern Illinois College in Harrisburg. He is redshirting this season.
The Skyhawks hold opponents to 65 points per game, tied for 23rd nationally. They dominate the boards, outrebounding opponents by 9.2 per game, ranking 30th.
Offensively, UT Martin averages 76.1 points but struggles with turnovers, committing more than 15 per game — a bottom-10 mark nationally.
Their two losses came against Florida State (87-73) and Southern Mississippi (70-60). They also defeated Missouri Valley Conference foe Bradley, 78-67, in Peoria.
UT Martin ranks No. 135 in the latest NET ratings and No. 209 in KenPom.
Our Dawgs
Nine Salukis average more than 14 minutes per game. Quel'Ron House leads the team with 14.4 points per game. Seven others average more than seven points, including Drew Steffe (9.8), Davion Sykes (9.2), Isaiah Stafford (8.7), Prince Aligbe (8.4), Rolyns Aligbe (8.4), Damien Mayo Jr. (7.4), and Jalen Haynes (7.0).
After a cold start from 3-point range, SIU has heated up in its last two wins, shooting 16-for-38 (42 percent). Steffe fueled the surge, going 9-for-16, while Mayo Jr. hit 4-of-6 from deep at High Point.
The Salukis average 80 points and nearly 40 rebounds per game, outrebounding opponents by almost four.
SIU ranks No. 149 in NET ratings and No. 132 in KenPom.
Our Dawgs
Partnering with the Office of the Chancellor, the SIU Foundation, and the SIU Dawg Pound, Saluki Athletics is excited to announce a spring tuition giveaway contest for current SIU students during the next home men's basketball game. The game is at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 10, against UT Martin.
Up to three students could go home with their spring tuition covered!
"We are so excited to host this promotion and help support SIU students," said Director of Athletics Tim Leonard. "We need our student section to be full and excited for every home game, but it's also important that we as a department and a university show as much support for the students as possible."
Here are the rules:
- This contest is for any student enrolled in the Spring 2026 semester at SIU Carbondale, who does not already have a full scholarship covering tuition for that semester.
- Students must attend the game from the opening tip, which is at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 10, at Banterra Center, and sit in the Dawg Pound, which is bleacher section 105.
- Three students will be randomly selected to participate in an on-court contest. The details of the contest will be shared during the game.
- There could be one, two, or three winners. If no contestant wins, there will be another tuition giveaway contest during the first home game of the spring semester on Wednesday, Jan. 14, and every proceeding game until there is at least one winner.
The Dawg Pound is the largest registered student organization on campus and is the official student section for all Saluki Athletics programs. Members get unique opportunities to support SIU's teams and student-athletes, including giveaways, travel to select away games, and inclusion in promotional events. Learn more about the Dawg Pound here.
