By Tom Weber
SIUSalukis.com

Final Stats |  Photo Gallery 

ESTERO, Fla. – St. Bonaventure made 10-of-21 shots from 3-point range to subdue Southern Illinois, 83-71, on Monday night in the opening round of the Gulf Coast Showcase tournament.

The Bonnies (4-1) were expecting to see a zone defense tonight from their opponent and they were ready for it. Matthew Wright made 5-of-10 shots from outside the arc and scored 32 points, while Charlon Kloof was 3-of-5, and Andell Cumberbatch made 2-of-4 treys.

“We knew going into the game that Southern was small and was going to play 2-3 zone,” said St. Bonaventure head coach Mark Schmidt. “We worked on it and knew we’d have to make some shots. Everyone had played us man-to-man because we’re much more of an attacking team, but we had to shoot the ball tonight.”

The Salukis (1-4) started a lineup with just one player taller than 6-foot-5. With such a stark difference in size and length against an opponent that featured a 7-foot center in Youssou Ndoye, plus four other players 6-7 or taller, SIU head coach Barry Hinson had little flexibility in his game plan.

“We told (our players) over and over, we’re going to let them settle for the three,” Hinson said. “They shot 26 percent coming into the game. There had been so many comments publicly that they don’t do a very good job against the zone, obviously that was our game plan.”

The strategy paid off in some respects for SIU, which was able to utilize its quickness off the dribble on offense. Desmar Jackson continued his torrid play with a 25-point outing, going 11-for-11 from the free throw line. Undersized power forward Jalen Pendleton maneuvered his way to the basket for 13 points, and guard Anthony Beane also scored 13.

“Jackson’s one of the best guards we’ll face this year,” Schmidt said. “He’s smooth, he’s long, he gets to the foul line. He’s a really good offensive player and we had our hands full all night.”

The Salukis shot 71 percent from the field in the second half, but by putting the ball on the floor so much, they turned it over 18 times in the game and had only five assists. Starting point guard Marcus Fillyaw played just 16 minutes due to foul trouble.

Although SIU never led in the contest, it kept things interesting with an 8-0 run in the first half and a 9-0 run in the second. After Wright completed a four-point play to put SBU ahead, 63-47, the Salukis ran off nine unanswered points that featured a 3-pointer by Beane and a one-handed slam by Jackson. However, Kloof responded with a clutch 3-pointer to give the Bonnies a double-digit lead, 66-56, and they later led by as many as 19 points.

“We handled adversity,” Schmidt said. “When a team makes a run you want to answer it.”

Southern is without a Division I win after five games for the first time since turning Division I in 1968. SIU will play Stetson (0-6), which is also looking for its first DI win this season, Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. CT.

Hebrews 13:17

Who has more authority on your team, the wet-behind-the-ears freshman walk-on or the Head Coach?  Well that should be obvious…  How about between the new graduate assistant and the fifth year captain of the team?  That’s a little tougher.  Let’s consider this matter by thinking about this scripture.

In Hebrews chapter 13 and verse 17 we read, “Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for our souls, as those who must give account.  Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.”

The writer uses two words which are very tough for competitors who are rather independent and strong-willed.  Obey and be submissive.

Obey – why?  Because our coaches and team leaders are not only responsible for their own actions and attitudes, but for those of the whole team as well.  We owe them obedience because of their incredible investment in us and the great responsibility they carry.

Submissive – why?  Because they have to give an account to people like the administration, to parents, to alumni, to the press and everyone who thinks himself an expert on the game.  They need us to fit in and to keep ourselves in line so that their lives are full of joy rather than grief.

Let’s work together in today’s competition and bring joy to our team’s leadership.  That will be most profitable for us all.

By Greg Keller

SIC Public Information

Harrisburg, Ill. – In doubleheader action Saturday afternoon in Harrisburg, Southeastern Illinois College and Olney Central College split their Great Rivers Athletic Conference season openers.

Women’s Game – OCC 91, SIC 75

In the first game, the OCC women used a dominating 21-4 stretch in the first seven minutes of the second half to cruise to a 91-75 victory.

SIC’s Nakaila Sheppard drives against Olney Central’s Kelsee Ennis. Sheppard had 11 points, but SIC fell 91-75.

The Lady Falcon hosts had made a stronger showing in the first half, taking the lead at 13-11 after back-to-back three-pointers by Victoria Mandrell and Sydney Clark, halfway through the first half.

From there, OCC started establishing its serious size advantage, pounding the ball inside repeatedly to Kelsey Pilant and Samantha Shoulders, running off 17 of the game’s next 21 points to increase their lead to 28-17 at the five minute mark. The Lady Falcons were then able to close the deficit to nine at the half, before the early second half implosion.

Not giving up the fight, SIC rallied, forcing several OCC turnovers and generating a run – largely via sophomore guard Anna Best, whose three-pointer after forcing a steal cut the deficit to 64-52 with 10:30 left.

The hosts were never able to cut the lead under 12, though, and the Lady Blue Knights were able to pull away for the victory.

SIC got 20 points from Best, 18 from Alexis Jones, 12 off the bench from Mandrell, and 11 from Nakaila Sheppard.

OCC was led by Pilant, who scored 27 on 11-16 shooting.

Men’s Game – SIC 92, OCC 89

After building a lead as big as 15 early in the second half, the SIC men had to endure a serious challenge at the end, watching a last-second heave by OCC’s Brook Pampe that could have sent the game into overtime hit only backboard.

SIC’s Randell Pickett drives past Olney Central’s Brook Pampe. Pickett had a team-high 28 points and 11 rebounds in SIC’s 92-89 victory.

Southeastern had control for much of the first half, establishing a seven point lead on a three-pointer by James Williams and extending their lead to 43-33 with 1:30 left, before OCC scored the final four points of the half.

From there, SIC ran off 11 of the first 13 points of the second stanza, capped by back-to-back long-range bombs by Randell Pickett and Alan Long that pushed the lead to 54-39 three minutes into the second half.

Olney Central made a couple of big incursions as time slipped by, first slicing the lead to 66-61 on three foul-shots by Jaquan Grissett with 8:30 left, only to see Southeastern score 11 of the next 14, closed out by a steal and score by Robert Barnes that bumped the score to 77-64 with just over five minutes remaining.

The guests quickly cut the lead to five thanks to back-to-back treys by Dominic Jackson with 3:50 left, before Barnes scored on a drive to stem the bleeding again.

The Falcons just couldn’t put the game away for good, though. A three-pointer by Tyler Brough and an easy layup by Brook Pampe cut the lead to 92-89 with 2.9 seconds left.

After SIC’s Jamar Rivera drew a foul, he hit the first free throw, but committed a lane violation in attempting to follow his second foul shot, negating the fact that it went in, and setting up Pampe’s last-second attempt from just beyond halfcourt, which went far left.

Pickett led the charge for SIC with 28 points and 11 rebounds, team highs in both categories. Also in double figures for the Falcons were James Williams, with 16 and 9 rebounds, Long, who scored 15, and Jaylen Carter, with 13.

Olney Central got 27 from John Brown, 18 from Jaquan Grissett, and 14 from Trey Mitchell.

SIC’s homestand continues with another doubleheader on Tuesday, as they play host to GRAC foe Wabash Valley, with the women’s game starting at 5:30 and the men’s game to follow.

Women: OCC 91, SIC 75

OCC (91)  Ennis 3-7 0-0 7, Scott 4-9 4-4 12, Callaway 3-7 0-1 6, Shoulders 5-11 0-0 10, Pilant 11-16 5-5 27, Samsil 3-7 3-4 10, Barton 2-4 0-0 4, Yando 1-2 1-3 3, Myers 4-9 4-5 12, Rubin 0-0 0-0 0, Meinhart 0-1 0-0 0. Totals: 36-73 17-22 91.

SOUTHEASTERN ILLINOIS COLLEGE (75) Best 7-17 2-4 20, Sheppard 3-9 3-5 11, Jones 7-12 2-2 18, Dodane 1-5 0-1 2, Simmons 0-3 2-3 2, Clark 1-5 0-0 3, Mandrell 4-12 2-2 12, Mixen 0-2 3-3 3, Prizer 1-4 2-2 4. Totals: 24-69 16-22 75.

Halftime Score: OCC 40, SIC 31. Rebounds: OCC 45 (Myers 9), SIC 28 (Jones 7). Turnovers: OCC 23, SIC 25. Three-point field goals: OCC 2 (Ennis, Samsil) Southeastern Illinois College 11 (Best 4, Sheppard 2, Jones 2, Mandrell 2, Clark).  

Men: SIC 92, OCC 89

OCC (89)  Grissett 5-16 6-9 18, Smith 0-2 0-0 0, Rowell 2-5 0-0 4, Pampe 1-5 0-0 2, Brown 10-14 7-10 27, Cummings 1-1 2-2 4, Jackson 3-9 2-2 10, Reaves 0-0 0-0 0, Brough 2-3 0-0 6, Mitchell 5-13 2-4 14, McClure 2-3 0-1 4. Totals: 31-71 19-28 89.

SOUTHEASTERN ILLINOIS COLLEGE (92) Carter 4-9 2-2 13, Pickett 10-16 5-6 28, Rivera 2-8 2-4 6, Williams 7-10 1-2 16, Long 6-8 0-0 15, Hughes 0-0 2-2 2, Thomas 0-3 5-6 5, Osemwegie 0-1 0-0 0, Barnes 3-5 1-2 7, Carr 0-1 0-0 0. Totals: 32-64 18-24 92.

Halftime Score: SIC 43, OCC 37. Rebounds: OCC 35 (McClure 7), SIC 37 (Pickett 11) Turnovers: OCC 11, SIC 13. Three-point field goals: OCC 8 (Grissett 2, Jackson 2, Brough 2, Mitchell 2), SIC 10 (Carter 3, Pickett 3, Long 3, Williams).  

Lady Warriors basketball fought for first conference game win against Lady Statesmen

INA, Ill. – On Saturday, the Rend Lake College Lady Warriors pulled out a stop against the Lady Statesmen with a 76-67 win, moving them to 4-3 on the season and 1-0 in the Great Rivers Athletic Conference (GRAC).

The Lady Warriors will play Shawnee in Ullin tomorrow. They will finish up the year with two home games against Southwestern Illinois on Dec. 4 and Southeastern Illinois on Dec. 7. For all things athletic at The Lake, visit www.rlc.edu/warriors.

RLC Warrior basketball team struggled, lost at home against Lincoln Trail Statesmen

INA, Ill. – Over the weekend, the Rend Lake College Men’s Basketball team took a loss at home from the Lincoln Trail Statesmen 86-102. The game was the first Great Rivers Athletic Conference (GRAC) game for the team.

Now 5-3 on the season, the Warriors will play Lincoln Land in Springfield tomorrow before returning home to face Southwestern Illinois on Dec. 4 and Southeastern Illinois on Dec. 7. Their last game of 2013 will be against Lincoln on Dec. 8. For all things athletic at The Lake, visit www.rlc.edu/warriors.

By Tom Weber
SIUSalukis.com

Final Stats |  Photo Gallery 

CARBONDALE, Ill. – Southern Illinois put its first mark in the win column with a 96-74 victory over Division II Missouri S&T on Thursday night, as three players topped 20 points for SIU.

Anthony Beane

The Salukis (1-3) overcame a sluggish first half to out-score the Miners, 60-45, in the final 20 minutes. A staggering 63 fouls were called in the game, and with 10 minutes remaining, four players had already fouled out for Missouri S&T.

“We have seen that in every single basketball game this year,” said Miners’ head coach Jim Glash. “It’s a horrible way to have to play. You saw teams make a decision to put their heads down and drive toward the basket knowing the whistle is going to blow. I don’t think in this economy, people should be paying for tickets to watch teams shoot free throws.”

After watching his team convert 23-of-38 free throws on the night, SIU head coach Barry Hinson agreed.

“I think we’re absolutely ruining the game,” he said. “No one wants to come and watch free-throw shooting. It’s not the officials’ fault at all — it’s the NCAA’s fault. Last time I checked this game wasn’t broken. It’s amazing what we’re doing to this game.”

The game plan was pretty simple for both teams — drive it to the basket. In the second half, the Salukis attempted only four jump shots, while the Miners took six. The remaining 41 field goal attempts were driving layups, and that doesn’t include the attempts in which fouls were assessed.

Fortunately for Southern, they had three players who were basically unstoppable on their way to the rim. Desmar Jackson had his second-straight double-double with 24 points and 10 rebounds. Jalen Pendleton also had 24, while Anthony Beane broke out of a recent shooting slump with an 8-for-10 night and 20 points.

“With Jackson and Beane, how are you going to stay in front of them if you’re not allowed to touch them at all and you’re not allowed to take charges?” asked Glash.

The game got off to a sluggish start. Missouri S&T applied a full-court press after every made basket and the first seven fouls were called on the Miners. After 13 minutes of stop-and-start play, the visitors led, 21-20.

Southern finally gained the upper hand with a 10-0 run sparked by a couple of fast-break buckets by Beane. SIU led, 36-29, at halftime, and the lead remained in single digits until midway through the second half when three starters and a key reserve had all fouled out for Missouri S&T.

“It’s a shame that these kids are so well-conditioned, so physically strong, and now they can’t use it,” said Glash, after watching Bryce Foster, Nusrath Khan, Danylo Zuikov and Tyler Anderson join him on the bench.

The Salukis took advantage of the Miners’ depleted roster, outscoring them 33-21 in the final 10 minutes, capped off by a 3-pointer by walk-on Colby Long with 31 seconds remaining. Hinson said there was little joy in the Saluki locker room after the long and ragged affair.

“You’ve got a locker room of guys that won a 22-point ballgame and their first win of the year, and it looks like they’re beat down and lost the game,” he said. “It’s not even fun for them.”

SIU will head to Florida next week for the three-day Gulf Coast Showcase tournament with a slightly depleted roster. Forward Bronson Verhines sprained an ankle and could be out for two weeks, Hinson said. Sophomore guard Hunter Gibson also indicated his intention to transfer at the semester break and will not accompany the team to the Sunshine state.

By Tyler Wooten
SIUSalukis.com

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — A 22.6 percent mark from the field couldn’t keep the high-flying offense of the University of Illinois Fighting Illini in check in a 78-43 loss on Thursday night at the State Farm Center.

Sophomore Dyana Pierre recorded her 11th career double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds against the Illini Thursday night.

The Salukis (0-4) started out the season hot from the field after outshooting Wright State and Austin Peay, but Southern has slumped this week with a percentage of 44.6 against IPFW on Monday to accompany tonight’s unholy mark. The Saluki women haven’t posted a mark from the field that low since Jan. 29, 2011 (22.6, Indiana State).

Southern was able to keep an Illini (4-1) offense that averaged 96.0 points per game under 80 for the first time this season, but the lack of consistent offensive production couldn’t make up for that.

“If we hit some of those wide-open shots it’s a different ball game, and we didn’t,” said SIU head coach Cindy Stein.

Down as much as 22-8 in the first half, the Salukis clawed their way back within striking distance of the Illini, but with 3:57 to go Illinois went on a tear and scored 13 unanswered to go up 41-21 at the half. Southern showed some resilience to start the second half, but the debt was insurmountable and the Salukis were never again within 18 points.

“They’re averaging 96 points and we held them to 78, that’s hopefully something,” Stein said. “We knew they were a potent offensive team. We knew that the key for us was to shoot well. We were gonna have to shoot well to keep up with them and put the numbers on.”

The Illini had four players in double figures, including leading scorer Jacqui Grant (15 points, 50.0 FG percentage) and season leading scorer Amber Moore (14 points, 4-10 three-point FG). Fouls were a problem for both teams but Illinois, like most Saluki opponents this season, was able to take advantage of their tries from the free throw line (12-of-18, 66.7 percentage) and off of Saluki turnovers where they converted 25 points off SIU mistakes.

“We turned the ball over way too much, we didn’t hit our free throws like we need to, and all that stuff kind of snowballs on you when you’re not hitting your shots,” Stein said. “You’re turning the ball over, you’re in foul trouble — we had several starters on the bench again with fouls. It’s tough to win a game like that.”

Missouri Valley Conference preseason all-conference honoree Cartaesha Macklin was kept quiet all game until the 5:57 mark in the second half when she scored her only points of the game on a layup. The Saluki bench wasn’t able to hold up their end of the bargain either with 15 total points and 11 of Southern’s 21 turnovers.

Sophomore center Dyana Pierre was a bright spot for Southern, though, with her 10 point, 12 rebound and four block performance for her 11th career double-double — her third this season in four games. It was Pierre’s worst shooting performance from the field (3-of-9) this season, but she stepped up when it counted on the free throw line, sinking half of her free tries (4-of-8). On the season, Pierre is currently averaging a double-double with 13.0 points per game and 10.8 rebounds.

“Dyana is just gonna get better and better,” Stein said. “We’ve just got to keep her out of foul trouble. Even when she’s standing still she gets a foul.”

After being held to zero points and one rebound in the first half, sophomore forward Azia Washington put up eight points in the second half and ended up with seven total boards. Washington has been a spark for the Salukis in her four starts this season, where she has been a nice compliment to Pierre in the post with 5.8 points and 7.8 rebounds.

SIU, now at 0-4 for the fourth time in five years, will hit the road to Huntington, W. Va., next Wednesday, Nov. 27, to take on the Marshall Thundering Herd.