An explosive Belmont Bruins offense pushed the pace against Southern Illinois at The Curb Event Center down in Nashville,Tennessee on Monday, March 2, 2026. The Belmont offense shot from the field to beat SIU by a final score of 83-64. The Saluki offense turned the ball over 14 times to a Bruin team that averages 10.2 steals a game.

A quick turn around saw the Salukis traveling down to Nashville just two days after a home loss to Drake. SIU came into the game on a five game losing streak. Southern Illinois comes in at 9-18 overall and 6-12 in MVC play, Belmont is 17-11 overall, and 13-4 in MVC play.

The Salukis came out strong and led by as many as 8 points in the first quarter. The perimeter defense for the Salukis was secured in the quarter holding Belmont to just 11% from behind the arc. The SIU offense shared the ball and found open shots, converting at a 64% from the floor. 

Forward Indya Green came out scoring the ball and recorded 7 of the 17 first quarter points for the Dawgs. Guard Jeniah Thompson added four points and shot  2-2. Guard Alayna Kraus also scored four points in the opening quarter, however, Kraus picked up two early fouls and had to take a seat on the bench to avoid further foul trouble. 

The second quarter was a different story for the Dawgs. Belmont shot the ball more efficiently from the field and outscored SIU by 10 points. Turnovers were the main issue for Southern Illinois, turning the ball over nine times in the first half.

Belmont capitalized off the Saluki turnovers, scoring 10 points off turnovers. A back and forth game continued until a 9-0 run by the Bruins gave them a three possession advantage heading into the locker room.

Green’s rebounding showed as well as her scoring. Green nearly recorded a double-double in the first half scoring nine points and grabbing eight rebounds. Thompson scored another bucket in the second and had 6 points, six rebounds, and two assists at the break. 

Guard Kayla Cooper scored 6 points in the first half, just a game removed from her career high 20 point game on Saturday. 

The Salukis continued to battle in the third quarter. The shots just weren’t falling for the Dawgs like they were in the first, the field goal percentage dropping over 20% from 64% to 43%. The SIU defense struggled giving up open looks at the basket and from behind the 3-point line. Belmont’s three point percentage jumped from 11% in the first quarter to 32% after the conclusion of the third quarter. 

Kraus scored 9 points in the quarter and with 13 points in the game was SIU’s leading scorer. Thompson and Green both entered double figures with Thompson scoring 10 points and Green with 11 points. 

Green got herself into foul trouble at the end of the quarter. A shooting foul was called on Green and following the call, Green received a technical foul for saying something unsportsmanlike to the referee. Belmont hit three of the four free throws and increased the deficit. 

The Bruins kept the offensive output going, opening the quarter on a 9-0 run to take a 19 point lead. From there the two teams went back and forth, but all the momentum was on the side of Belmont. SIU did finish the game outrebounding the Bruins by nine.

The turnovers continued and Southern Illinois ended the contest with 14 turnovers in total. Free throws were pretty even with the Salukis shooting 14 in the game and the Bruins attempting 12 from the charity stripe. 

Green, despite the technical foul, finished with a double-double scoring 13 points and snatching 13 boards. Green was the top rebounder for the Dawgs in the game, grabbing five more than the nearest Saluki. Thompson and Kraus each scored 15 points to tie for the team lead. Thompson added eight rebounds and three assists by the time the final buzzer sounded. Guard Tkiyah Nelson recorded the most assists of any Saluki with four in 25 minutes of playing time.

“We can’t be their best offense.” Saluki Assistant Head Coach Nichols said, refering to the 14 turnovers committed by the Salukis that lead to scoring opportunities by the Bruins.

With this loss SIU has now dropped six straight games, falling to 9-19 on the season and 6-13 in MVC play. With the win, Belmont improves to 18-11 overall and 14-4 in the MVC. The Dawgs will travel to take on the Evansville Purple Aces on Monday, March 8. The game will tip off at 2 p.m. at the Ford center in Evansville, Indiana.

Sports Reporter AARON CARNAHAN can be reached at [email protected]

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