After a seven-month wait, the SIU men’s basketball team finally receives its Missouri Valley Conference championship rings. The recent recognition for the Salukis’ 2006 MVC tournament win didn’t make them lose focus, though – they remain humble and hungry for more.

The Salukis faced off in an intersquad matchup Saturday night in front of a near-capacity crowd at Davies Gymnasium after being honored with the MVC tournament championship rings. The Salukis battled each other for 12 minutes and showed off the defense that won them the conference tournament in March.

Senior guard Jamaal Tatum and junior forward Matt Shaw said they were excited about getting their rings, and their excitement spilled over into the scrimmage.

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“Getting the ring is really a token of how hard we work,” Tatum said. “It really proves the clich� true.”

The “white” team led by Shaw beat the “maroon” team led by Tatum in four quarters that were four minutes apiece.

Tatum and Shaw led their respective teams with 11 points each. Tatum set up his teammates with crisp passing, including an ally-oop to junior forward Randal Falker.

Tatum said the team already went through a full practice earlier in the day, and it was hard to get it going again.

“We went full-speed in the scrimmage because we want to put on a good show for the fans,” Tatum said. “It’s a lot of fun to come out here and do this.”

Shaw had some good midrange jump shooting and a buzzer-beater in the third quarter. His fierce rebounding throughout the game was indicative of his effort.

He said anytime the players step on the floor, they play as hard as they can.

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“It’s really nice to just get out and play in front of everyone,” Shaw said. “We know the fans appreciate us.”

The game also featured a relentless defensive effort by newcomer Tyrone Green, a junior, and strong performances out of sophomore forward Tony Boyle and junior forward Jamaal Foster.

Boyle and Foster combined for 10 points, while Green played lockdown defense and excited the crowd with some monstrous dunks during pregame warm-ups.

The three players had head coach Chris Lowery yearning for more.

Lowery said Boyle and Foster have made significant strides from the 2005-06 season and should have an impact on the 2006-07 season. He said he was also pleased with the efforts of his junior forward Green.

“We all know how good our two older guys are,” Lowery said. “Tyrone Green has a chance to be really good for us, too.”

With the upcoming season starting Nov. 2 against Quincy, the Salukis don’t want to set limits after a 22-11 season that included a dramatic first-place finish at the MVC tournament.

Lowery said getting the rings was nice, but it was more impressive to make the tournament five straight times.

“Before we set goals in terms of the tournament, we want to win the conference first,” Lowery said. “Although it may have seemed like last year was the best year for the MVC, I think it’s even stronger this year.”