With the Salukis down by three, senior guard Justin Bocot’s two-point shot in the game’s final seconds wasn’t enough for a win.

SIU lost to Division II Ohio Dominican 64-63 Saturday, as 3,753 fans in the SIU Arena witnessed a high-turnover and poorly-executed game. Bocot finished tied with senior forward Mamadou Seck for the team high of 18 points. The two combined for more than half the team’s points, as head coach Chris Lowery said seven new Salukis received playing time during the game.

While getting their first taste of Division I basketball, Lowery said the players had to learn on the fly.

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“I think the new guys didn’t really know what to expect, and it showed in their play,” Lowery said.

Freshman forward Treg Setty tries to bypass Ohio Dominican University’s defense Saturday at the SIU Arena. Despite being ahead for most of the game, the Salukis lost to the Panthers in the game’s final 20 seconds with a 64-63 ending score. Pat Stuphin | Daily Egyptian

The Salukis’ inexperience showed in their production off the bench as well. Sophomore guard Diamond Taylor was the team’s only returning reserve, as the young Saluki bench was outscored 29 to 11. Lowery said youthfulness, not a lack of effort, can be attributed to the team’s poor performance.

“We had guys in the right spot, but it was (about) making the right play,” Lowery said. “We have a new team, and we understand that our older guys are good. But the other guys have to continue to grow and gel.”

Transition offense was one of the Salukis’ strengths as they went into the game, but the team managed only 10 fast break points. When the fast breaks did come, it was missed lay-ups that plagued the team. Lowery said his team was unable to get the necessary breaks to achieve victory.

“We missed (easy shots), we missed point blankers, we missed tip-ins at the rim,” Lowery said. “I think that was just the way the ball bounced today. We got to correct it and move on.”

On the defensive end, the Salukis showed a high-pressure approach as they occasionally used a full-court pressure defense and consistently narrowed the passing lanes. They forced 27 turnovers and turned them into 23 points.

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Lowery said the team’s extreme aggressiveness led it to be out of position at times, but  said those mistakes can be corrected.

“Those are the things we have to correct in our defense. We had great defense but we had four gambles that cost us dearly throughout the game,” Lowery said. “Two in the first (half), two in the second half which could have spread the game, and really allowed us the get away from them.”

Ohio Domincan was led by junior guard Morgan Jones’ 15 points, and Lowery said the inability to contain him was a major factor in the team’s loss. For the Salukis, Seck started the season off with a double-double (18 points, 14 rebounds) but missed key shots down the stretch with the Salukis trailing. Seck said he needs to work on carrying out shots that are in his range.

“I missed too many open shots, makeable shots,” Seck said. “(Ohio Dominican) did a good job defending the ball.”

Aside from the Panthers’ defensive pressure, foul trouble also hampered the Salukis. Freshman guard Josh Swan picked up two fouls early into the first half, and Lowery said his foul trouble affected the team’s depth.

Swan said he needs to work on both mental and physical strength in order to play better defense.

“I just have to understand that I can play aggressively without using my hands,” Swan said. “Just make smarter decisions when it comes to going after the ball.”

He said sliding his feet and keeping his hands up on defense will also limit the fouls called against him.

Lowery said the players aren’t hanging their heads after one loss, but with a veteran Saint Louis University team coming to the SIU Arena Tuesday, he wants to see a high amount of effort continue from his Salukis.

“We just have to keep growing from this spot,” Lowery said. “As long as we play hard, good things will happen.”