Saturday’s setback to Valparaiso was the latest in a line of frustrating home losses for the SIU men’s basketball team.
The Dawgs led by as many as 16 behind a hot start to the game on Feb. 22, but back-to-back 3 pointers by Valpo’s All Wright jump started the Beacons’ comeback that ultimately ended in them leaving Carbondale with a 84-79 win.
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It was nearly all downhill for the Salukis after Wright’s buckets, especially in the clutch. In the final two minutes of the game, trailing by three, the Dawgs managed to score only one point via an Ali Dibba free throw.
“Felt like it meant a little more to them. They were more desperate when they needed to be, and we weren’t,” head coach Scott Nagy said.
Valpo outscored the Salukis 20-13 after Wright’s 3 pointers to end the first half, with SIU holding a 37-31 advantage entering the break.
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“We were pretty good defensively in the first half. In the second half, we can’t give up 53 and expect to win,” Nagy said.
It wasn’t the offense that lost the game for SIU. They shot a respectable 48.4% from the field, including 47.4% from 3 point range, though they were once again poor from the free throw line. The Salukis converted on only 10 of 16 free throws, with two misses each from Jarrett Hensley and Jorge Moreno. Hensley finished with 10 points and 12 rebounds, while Moreno had 2 points and a single rebound.
Kennard Davis Jr. had his second consecutive game with more than 20 points, finishing with 21 on 8-18 shooting against the Beacons. Dibba put up 16, including three 3 pointers, and Damien Mayo Jr. and Drew Steffe each had 11.
An area where the Dawgs struggled mightily was in the turnover department; Valpo forced 13, including 8 steals, that they turned into 14 points.
“That’s what is beating us right now, that and our defense. It’s hard to play good defense when you’re turning the ball over,” Nagy said.
SIU was whistled for 13 fouls in the second half as opposed to five in the first.
Wright torched the Salukis for 29 points, though he took 26 shots to do so. Justus McNair, who didn’t score in the first half, had 14 for the Beacons in the second, with all coming in the final 10 minutes.
SIU, who are the losers of four straight, fell to 12-17 and 7-11 in the Missouri Valley Conference. They host the Illinois State Redbirds (17-12, 9-9) on Feb. 25 at 7 p.m. for their final home game of the season, which will also be senior night.
Sports reporter Ryan Grieser can be reached at rgrieser@dailyegyptian.com. To stay up to date on all your southern Illinois news, be sure to follow The Daily Egyptian on Facebook.
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