The SIU men’s basketball team made their first public appearance of the 2025-2026 school year in a student-only scrimmage at Davies Gym Wednesday, Oct. 1. The scrimmage was then followed by students testing their skills in various shooting games against members of the team.
In the scrimmage portion of the evening, the Maroon Team, led by senior guard Damien Mayo Jr., took on the White Team, led by senior guard Davion Sykes. Everybody had a chance to shine, from freshman Luke Walsh and redshirt sophomore Drew Steffe impressing from range, to brothers Rolyns and Prince Aligbe dominating in the paint. The score ended in a 28-28 tie, much to the chagrin of the students in the crowd who had hoped for a definitive winner.
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After the scrimmage, Saluki head coach Scott Nagy asked for some volunteers to go up against members of the team in a shooting game called knockout. Two students went up against Walsh, Steffe and Valparaiso transfer forward Isaiah Stafford. One of the students, Kelly Moss, ended up eliminating Walsh. When asked afterward about her impressive shooting display, Moss said she was “truly shocked, truly excited. I was in disbelief.” Moss was later eliminated from the competition by Stafford.
They then moved to a students versus players game of P-I-G, a classic shooting competition game. The players were wearing drunk goggles to even the playing field, and that turned it into more of a comedy routine than a display of athleticism.
After the event, students ate free pizza from Newby’s courtesy of the SIU Dawg Pound.
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Fans have one more chance to see the Salukis before they start playing competitive games. The team is putting on a Donuts with Dawgs event Saturday, Oct. 11 at 8:45 a.m., which includes a free breakfast, another scrimmage and an autograph session.
Sports Reporter Eli Hoover can be reached at ehoover@dailyegyptian.com and on Instagram at @hoovermakesart
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