KU survived 61-58 to advance to the Elite Eight round of the NCAA tourney. Southern ended with 29 wins, tops in school history.
Seniors Jamaal Tatum (19) and Tony Young (14) paced the Dawgs in scoring. When he walked off the court, Young had participated in more victories than any man ever to wear an SIU hoops jersey. Randal Falker muscled his way to 11 points and 9 rebounds. Defying a painful ankle injury, Matt Shaw logged 36 minutes, posting 9 points, 6 boards and 3 assists. Southern had a 28-22 edge on the glass.
The Dawgs were down 8-2 in the first five minutes, but roared back to trail by just 27-24 at the break. The final 20 minutes saw maroon clad Salukis body surfing over every square inch of hardwood, contesting every loose ball. Announcer Dick Engberg gushed approvingly over Southern's manic scrapping. SIU dictated the tempo throughout, and matched Kansas' 34 second half points.
For Kansas, Brandon Rush collected 12 points. Although no other Jayhawk could reach
double figures, KU displayed an uncanny touch on the 10 foot bank shot in traffic. Today the short jumper is a shot that's almost obsolete, but it's mastery brought them victory.On court, it was a game crammed full of hustle, but nearly devoid of hysteria. Coach Lowery and staff were steaming in frustration over a couple of questionable calls, most notably a Jayhawk dunk which took place after the shot clock expired.
Can the emotion of such an intense game be distilled in a single moment of chance? Perhaps. When SIU's Bryan Mullins made a clean steal, he drove hard to the basket, but his bid for a left handed layup rolled off.... and Jamaal Tatum's tip in came EVER so close to climbing over the rim!
Yes. but no regrets. What an incredible season the Salukis and Chris Lowery recorded. They performed with fortitude and class under witheringly stressful conditions time after time. Many of them played hurt and made no excuses on the rare occasions they were defeated.
Ultimately they were superb representatives of SIU, the Valley, and the whole of Southern Illinois. That's how basketball is supposed to be played...with consummate skill and shoulder to shoulder teamwork. Well-deserved applause and cheers are echoing across the Land between the Rivers. Thanks, Dawgs, for a phenomenal year. What a ride!
