Southern's practices this week featured bruised knees, busted lips, wrenched ankles , and three near fist fights. Another guy got bashed on the head. This was among partners. By Monday night Chris Lowery's growlers were after fresh meat. Wichita came to town on the wrong night. Zap. Southern opens with an 8-0 run. 8500 people in maroon are loving it. Falker is absorbing entry passes and working the pin and spin to perfection. He's got the baby hook with either hand going on. The Saluki defense is hurling itself about, facing up to the ball with dizzying effieciency. Drives are cut off. passes anticipated, baseline moves countered. and the ball keeps getting rerouted east and west. It's the Dawgs by 38-23 at the break.
In the crowd there is a congenial, nearly party atmosphere. But there are grizzled old-time observers on hand who grumble..this is Wichita. They won't panic. They'll be back.
We now fast-forward you to the second half. The officials, who nearly let the game get away from them in the first half, come out scowling and begin calling fouls for bad breath or casting shadows on people. The Shockers hitch it up and begin chewing into the lead. There's Falker on the bench in foul trouble. Here are the SIU reserves, running sets, but mainly bouncing it and staring a lot. Lowery paces and looks less than pleased.
Down to the wire Falker gets back in there and absolutely smashes a Wichita shot out of midair. Tony Young drills a clutch trey, and Bryan Mullins recaptures a potentially catastrophic backcourt turnover. The Shockers go down blazing, with some late threes, but Southern keeps burying free throws (19 of 22) and holds on for the ninth straight time in this series.
Southern nearly placed all five starters in double figures. Falker led with 20 and Shaw had 18 and Young 10. Mullins chipped in 13 and played a brilliant floor game. He's begun to develop the drive as opposed to the dish and has defenders guessing wrong. Lowery pointed out in the post game that when the Dawgs shoot 20 or more times from the line they are 9-0 this year. Wichita State actually dealt with the road-crowd frenzy pretty well tonight. P.J. Couisnard rang up 20 including four threes. Head coach Mark Turgeon did seem a tad irate and got T-ed up once.
Asked what the victory meant Lowery cracked , "It means we're 2-0 in the conference. " There will be other battles on other nights in other gyms, but if Southern learns to put together two halves like tonight's first one, even the stalwart efforts of capable opponents like Wichita won't hold them back. Now if the Dawgs can manage to survive those practices.......... that's tonight's VIEW FROM ROW TWO.
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2 comments:
SIU looked composed in this game. Early in the warmups they looked very calm. They played nearly perfect basketball in the first half, and held it together for the win. This was a fun game to watch.
Also, does anyone remember when SIU used to play bad in the first half and then step it up for the win in the second half? This was a team staple from 2001-2005. This years team seams to have shaken that reputation.
This year's team does not seem to do well when the are trying to sit on a lead. As soon as the Dawgs step off the gas the opposition goes on a run. For a team with a grind it out reputation, I think uptempo has been better on the offensive end.
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