The two players to miss Tuesday’s game against Wichita State are cleared to play after the closing of an internal administrative eligibility review.

Senior guard Leo Vincent and sophomore guard Sean Lloyd are immediately eligible to practice and play, director of athletics Tommy Bell announced Thursday.

“Together we accept responsibility for the administrative breakdown that occurred that affected these student-athletes, and the issue has been identified and appropriate action taken,” Bell said in a statement. “We take compliance and eligibility issues very seriously, and we are all accountable.”

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Specific details on student-athlete eligibility are protected by privacy laws.

“I had to protect [Vincent and Lloyd],” Bell said. “I had to protect basketball, and I had to protect the university.”

He said the issue was not the fault of anyone on the team.

Vincent, a 2015-16 Missouri Valley Conference All-Newcomer team member, has started more than half of SIU’s games this season and is averaging 8.1 points per game.

Lloyd has made nine starts for the Salukis this season and eight in the last 10 games, mostly in the place of Vincent. Arguably the team’s most improved player, Lloyd is averaging 9.6 points and 3 rebounds per game as a starter.

In their lone game away, SIU was handed its third-worst loss in program history by Wichita State.

SIU will try to end a three-game losing streak at 7 p.m. Saturday when Missouri State comes to SIU Arena.

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Sports writer Sean Carley can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @SCarleyDE.

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