UE falls to SIU in Valley opener

Salukis take 80-53 win

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Completing the first half on a 30-10 run, Southern Illinois pulled away for an 80-53 victory over the University of Evansville men’s basketball team in Wednesday’s Missouri Valley Conference opener at the Ford Center.

Southern Illinois shot 60.7% for the season while hitting 12 of their 24 attempts from long range.  The Purple Aces shot 40.4% in the game with Antoine Smith Jr. recording a team-high 12 points.  Kenny Strawbridge Jr. scored 10 while Yacine Toumi finished with eight.  SIU was led by Lance Jones, who scored 17 points.  Xavier Johnson posted 14.

“We played against an older, more experienced team that was prepared to play.  The flood gates opened early and they did not stop,” UE head coach David Ragland said.  “We will learn from it, get better and be ready for Saturday.”

Evansville hit three of its first four shots to open the game with a 6-2 edge.  Southern Illinois scored six in a row to go up 8-6 before a Kenny Strawbridge Jr. free throw gave UE a 9-8 edge.  With the score tied at 11-11, the Salukis scored 12 in a row to go up 23-11 just past the midway point of the half.

Marvin Coleman II found Yacine Toumi for an open triple but the Salukis continued their run.  Over the final 10 minutes of the period, SIU outscored the Aces by a 30-10 margin to go up 41-21.  They connected on 10 out of 11 attempts at one point as they extended the lead.  They shot 62.1% in the opening 20 minutes while holding UE to 39.1%.

Out of the break, SIU opened the scoring with a triple and pushed the advantage to 50-24.  Coleman ended the stretch and Gage Bobe followed with a 3-pointer to cut into the deficit.  Once again, SIU responded as they posted the next 16 to go up 66-29.

Antoine Smith Jr. recorded a dunk with Strawbridge following it up with a 3-point play.  As the clock closed in on eight minutes remaining, Gabe Spinelli made a nice move at the basket to pick up his second field goal of the night before Smith added five more to cap off a 12-0 run.

Over the final minutes, the teams exchanged buckets with SIU completing the 80-53 victory.  Much of the success for SIU came in their ability to share the ball as they were credited with 23 assists in 34 makes.  Jones posted nine helpers for the Salukis.  Southern Illinois finished with a 29-28 edge on the boards with Preston Phillips leading the Aces with five.

Valley play continues for the Aces on Saturday with a trip to Northern Iowa.