While multiple Salukis have taken turns having big nights in the last few games, there was balanced dominance in their 73-51 win against Missouri State.
SIU started its first Missouri Valley Conference winning streak of the season behind the strength of a dominant first half and three players with at least 15 points. Ali Dibba paced the Salukis with 22, while Kennard Davis Jr. and Jarrett Hensley both scored 18. It was the first game of the season in which three players had at least 15 points.
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The Salukis had a strong night on the defensive end of the court too, giving up a paltry 51 points to a Missouri State team that had just scored 78 against them four days earlier. Damien Mayo Jr. in particular was a force, racking up three steals and two blocks, with two of the steals coming in the first two minutes of action.
SIU led wire-to-wire and came out of the gate hot. They made each of their first four shots to jump out to a 9-2 lead, but the Bears’ defense tightened up after that. A Hensley dunk and Davis Jr. jumper were the only SIU points for nearly 8 minutes, but a Davion Sykes layup brought the Dawgs back to life.
Hensley, who went 4-for-5 from three-point range, cashed a three around the nine minute mark and helped the Salukis close the half on a 13-4 run to find themselves up by 17.
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The shrunken rotation that head coach Scott Nagy used in the prior Missouri State game on Jan. 11 appeared again. Dibba, Mayo Jr., Drew Steffe, and Davis Jr., played over 30 minutes, Hensley played 29, and Davion Sykes played 16. No other player saw more than 7 minutes of action.
It also seems Nagy has found a starting lineup that works. For the third consecutive game, Hensley started the game at the 5, and Nagy turned to guards to fill out the rest of the lineup, trotting out Steffe, Davis Jr., Mayo Jr., and Dibba. Davis Jr. is the only player besides Hensley that is 6’6” or above.
With the win, the Salukis now stand at 7-11 (2-5), and will look to carry some positive momentum that comes with a winning streak into a home matchup against the University of Northern Iowa, who beat the Dawgs 78-67 when they played last month. Saturday’s showdown will tip off at 6 p.m in the Banterra Center in Carbondale, IL.
Sports reporter Ryan Grieser can be reached at [email protected]. To stay up to date on all your southern Illinois news, be sure to follow The Daily Egyptian on Facebook and on X @dailyegyptian.
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