Darren Brooks and David Moss, two of the best all-around players in the Missouri Valley Conference, had less-than-stellar performances Wednesday night.

Brooks battled the flu, Moss defensive pressure. And with each struggling, the game was ultimately decided by the supporting casts.

Matt Shaw scored a career-high 22 points and Tony Young tied his with 16 in the Salukis’ 64-53 victory against Indiana State.

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“Tony Young was huge again. Matt Shaw had a big-time game,” SIU head coach Chris Lowery said. “Nobody else seemed to have anything going.”

Shaw sank the Salukis’ first three shots, one on a put back, another on a two-hand dunk and the other a lay up off one of Stetson Hairston’s four assists. He also ripped down a career-high 10 rebounds.

“I just feel a lot more comfortable out there and am able to do more things,” Shaw said.

Young knocked down three first-half treys, finished 4-for-7 from beyond the arc and now has connected on 16 of his last 29 three-point attempts.

“We have a good team,” Young said. “Anybody can step up any day. DB wasn’t feeling too well tonight. Everybody else just stepped up and played hard.”

Shaw and Young’s teammates went a combined 10-for-36 from the field and missed seven long-range shots. Jamaal Tatum shot 1-for-10 from the floor and has missed 27 of his last 31 shots over the last three games.

Brooks took just four shots and finished with four points to go along with six rebounds, three assists and a block in 27 minutes.

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Meanwhile, Moss had a tough time contending with the Salukis’ pressure defense, sinking just two of his 10 shots. He would finish with 12 points, most of which came in garbage time from the free throw line.

Sycamore forward Amani Daanish kept Indiana State close, scoring 10 of his 13 points in the first half. Daanish finished with 13 rebounds, seven off the offensive glass. Sophomore guard Gabriel Moore also did his part, scoring every one of his 10 points in the second half.

Moss’ only highlight-worthy play may have been a block on a Tatum lay up late in the second half. He would pay though, as two seemingly easy breakaway dunks were erased by the hustle of Young and LaMar Owen.

“David Moss thought he had two breakaway dunks, and Tony Young put him on his stomach,” Lowery said. “That’s a part of who he is and his toughness.”

Besides breaking up Moss’ dunks, Young was also able to disrupt the 6-foot-5 guard’s offensive rhythm, battling him in the post and contesting any jump shot he thought about taking.

Said Young of playing against Moss, who faced Young in the 2001 class AA Illinois High School championship game and hails from Hazelcrest:”I’m cool with him. I’m cool with a lot of people in this league, pretty much a lot of people from the Chicago land area.

“It’s always fun playing against people you know.”

Not for Moss. At least not last night.

Reporter Drew Stevens can be reached at [email protected]