Technically speaking, the Salukis lost at the buzzer but really this game was lost at the foul stripe.
Butler hit 21 of 30 foul shots while SIU made only 3 of 12 at the stripe. It's hard to beat a top 20 team when you're outscored by 18 at the foul line. If the Salukis hit just half of their foul shots the game would have been in hand and the buzzer beater by A.J. Graves would have been a footnote in the SIU victory.
Despite the free throw discrepancy SIU still had a great chance to win. Joshua Bone hit 5 of 7 shots from three point range and finished with 19 points. Bone's clutch shooting was a huge bright spot for the Salukis.
Even though the Salukis lost the game they were able to dictate the tempo for most of the contest. Southern played hard and they won the battle of the boards, pulling down 12 more rebounds than the Bulldogs in a losing effort.
Coach Chris Lowery noted in the post game that he thinks the program is "on the right track" but acknowledged his team has to do a better job of finishing things off. The Salukis will have to figure it out soon, Valley play starts on Sunday and even though the Dawgs are under .500 a conference championship is still within reach.
