The Salukis overcame a power outage in practice this week and a weather delay during the game to beat Indiana State and stay tied for 3rd place in the Valley.
Tonight it was the thunder and lightning duo of Randal Falker and Bryan Mullins that turned out the lights on Indiana St. The Falker/Mullins duo combined for 42 points and countless key baskets for the Dawgs.
The Salukis didn't just settle for jump shots in this game, they took the ball to the basket. Using the dribble resulted in getting to the foul line and SIU hit more free throws (27) than Indiana St attempted (24).
After a temporary weather delay Indiana State made a significant run from being down 5 to carrying a 2 point lead into the locker room at halftime. Luckily for SIU Randal Falker was able to douse the flame, knocking down a field goal at the first half buzzer.
In the second half the Salukis came out with a flurry, leading to a 10-0 run.
Indiana State answered with a comeback led by Gabriel Moore. Moore did plenty of talking during the game and shouted some words in Falker's direction after hitting his final 3 pointer of the night with 16:01 remaining. Give the Salukis credit though, they didn't get in a shouting match. Instead, Falker combined with Tyrone Green to fuel a 9-1 Saluki run that stole the momentum right back.
Tyrone Green pushed the ball towards the hoop and took advantage of a defensive scheme that left him open almost the entire game. Green epitomized Southern's 'take it to the hoop' mentality and will be rewarded with a spot in the starting lineup when the Dawgs play Creighton on Sunday.
Overall, it was a nice home win for the Salukis but they still have to prove that they can take their show on the road. Attacking the basket in the same style they did tonight will create higher percentage shots and more free throw attempts, giving the Dawgs a better chance to win away from home.
