It was nice for Dillard, Hare, and Mullins to get to play a "home game" in the Chicago area. For Bryan Mullins' family and friends it was just a short trip west on I-88 to see the senior from Downers Grove put on a ball handling clinic in DeKalb.
SIU has such a strong Alumni base in the northern part of the state, it only makes sense for the Dawgs to take their show on the road for the upstate fans at least once each year. While NIU isn't the best of opponents, the Salukis were in desperate need of any road win they could get.
In future seasons a matchup with DePaul might prove to be more beneficial, but for this year a game against less than stellar competition was just what the doctor ordered.
NIU Head Coach Ricardo Patton would like to get another crack at the Salukis even though he acknowledges that the two programs aren't on the same level competitively. "We saw where each of the programs stands at this point. My only wish is that we continue the series (against SIU)."
The Salukis were able to get out in transition against the Huskies, and for the first time in weeks, Kevin Dillard seemed to find his MoJo.
Pushing the ball and keeping the intensity was not a problem for Lowery, who shuffled all 11 guys into the rotation. Each time the Huskies tried to get back into the game someone stepped up and threw water on the fire by knocking down a jumper.
The Salukis were given easy looks at the basket all night and ended up shooing nearly 60% from the floor. While it's a positive sign that these young Dawgs are capable of lighting up the scoreboard its also important to remember that their Huskie counterparts just weren't very good.
photo credit- SIU sports information dept.
