Southern Illinois University
Belmont
Salukis face road test at Belmont on Sunday
01/03/2026 | 1:09:00 | Men's Basketball
The Salukis (7-8, 1-3 MVC) take on the Bruins (13-2, 3-1 MVC) at 4 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 4, in the Curb Event Center in Nashville, Tenn.
Game Details
Matchup: SIU at Belmont
Time: 4 p.m.
Location: Curb Event Center, Nashville, Tenn.
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SCOUTING THE BRUINS
The Bruins won their most recent contest at home against Bradley, 88-78. They come into the day 13-2 overall, and 3-1 in league play, good for fourth in the MVC.
Tyler Lundblade leads the Bruins, scoring 17.2 points per game, third in the MVC. The senior from Dallas, Texas, is a sharpshooter, leading the MVC and ranking fourth in the nation in three-pointers per game with 4.1. He also does so efficiently, shooting 43.6% from beyond the arc.
They average 85.2 points per game as a team, 59th nationally and second in The Valley. The Bruins shoot the ball efficiently, converting 51.3% of their field goals and 40.2% of their three-point attempts; both lead the MVC.
Defensively, the Bruins allow 69.73 points per game, tied for 99th in the NCAA and fourth in The Valley.
Combining both sides of the floor, Belmont leads The Valley in overall scoring margin at +15.47.
They also crash the glass, leading The Valley with 39.6 rebounds per game.
The Bruins rank No. 60 in the latest NET ratings and No. 70 in KenPom.
THE DAWGS
Eight Salukis average more than 16 minutes per game. Quel'Ron House leads the team with 14.5 points per game. Seven others average seven or more points, including Drew Steffe (9.6), Rolyns Aligbe (9.5), Prince Aligbe (9.0), Davion Sykes (8.6), Damien Mayo Jr. (8.1), Jalen Haynes (7.3) and Isaiah Stafford (7.0).
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 11 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 48.2 percent from the field, which is 68th 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 +3.8 rebounds per game margin on the season. They are in the top 72 overall, averaging 39.5 rebounds per game. The Dawgs split up the work pretty evenly, with Rolyns Aligbe leading the way with 6.8 boards per game. Aligbe notched a double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds in the loss at Richmond on Dec. 13, and tallied a career-high 12 rebounds in SIU's win over Valparaiso on Jan. 1.
SIU landed at No. 125 in the most recent NET ratings, sixth in the MVC.
LAST TIME OUT
SIU defeated Valparaiso 75-70 on Jan. 1. Bench points were key, as the unit scored 30 points in the victory.
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.
