Even the kool-aid drinking Saluki fans thought SIU would lose at Drake. At that point a top-6 seed was a long shot. Fast forward to this weekend... SIU wins a thrilling game against Wichita State, while Evansville and Drake both lose, giving the Salukis the #5 seed in the MVC.
The win over the Shockers was one of the more exciting games at SIU Arena this year. It
appeared there was a bounty on Kevin Dillard's head, as he took elbows and shoves from the opposing guards early and often.Dillard didn't budge though, and found Tony Boyle for some looks early and Boyle kept the momentum going with arguably his second best game in a Saluki uniform (the NCAA Tournament performance vs Holy Cross is still #1).
It was clear early on that the Salukis planned to get the ball to Boyle in the post. Lowery said after the game that he feels like Boyle can post up anybody in the league. Boyle was extremely active, pulling down rebounds and pumping in 14 of 15 free throws for a tidy 20-10 double double on senior night.
MVC Tournament #5 seed
Earning the 5th seed in the MVC is much better than the 6th seed considering the Salukis will go against Bradley, a team they beat 68-62 on Jan 18th, instead of facing #3 seed Illinois State who knocked off the Salukis twice.
The even better news is, if they can beat Bradley they would likely face #1 seed UNI (who has lost 3 of their last 5) in the semis instead of the current buzzsaw of the MVC, #2 seed Creighton.
The Salukis will still need to bring their absolute "A" game to have a chance to win even one game in St. Louis. However, Saluki fans have reason to be excited after a team that looked dead in the water just one week ago will head into the Gateway City with a chance to do some serious damage.
