After having played only two games in the last 17 days, the Salukis showed no signs of rust while routing a lethargic Oklahoma State squad 69-53 at the SIU Arena.
The Salukis looked loose and played with confidence. Matt Shaw and Randal Falker set the tone and combined for 36 points and 18 rebounds. Josh Bone hit some big 3's and along with Shaw, forced Oklahoma State to cover the perimeter, which left one-on-one matchups for Falker and Tony Boyle all night. Tyrone Green did an excellent job of running the point, handing out 8 assists, and not turning the ball over a single time.
The 5300 faithful fans that attended tonight's game seemed to feed off of the energy provided by the Salukis and vice-versa. When Christian Cornelius threw down a tip-dunk in the first half, the place was up for grabs. Hustle plays and contributions from role players received standing ovations. For 40 minutes, the Salukis seemed to come up with every loose ball and ended with a 39-21 advantage on the glass. The Saluki "D" had the Cowboys rattled from the opening tip and limited Oklahoma State to just 35% shooting, including 4 of 25 from beyond the arc.
This is not quite the storybook ending that was written back in November, but the Salukis played a great game tonight, the seniors got a final "W" at home and the March to the Garden continues on Thursday night at Arizona State.
