Rough and Rugged First Half Favors SIU

Elbows were flying and bodies were hitting the floor in the first half, just the type of game the Salukis are known for.

Southern was ice cold to start the game but they were able to grind out a 22-20 advantage at intermission.

UNI had a 7-0 lead to start the game when Matt Shaw nailed a ‘3’ to put the Salukis on the board with just 15 minutes remaining. Bone followed with a jumper to pull the dawgs within 2.

Moments later Matt Shaw nearly landed in my lap on press row, while barreling towards a loose ball. The Salukis still weren’t hitting shots but they kept the game close with solid defense and hustle plays.

Northern Iowa led most of the half until Josh Bone tied the game with a 3-ball that sent the smaller than usual Saluki following into a frenzy.

In the final moments of the half Southern forced a shot clock violation on UNI, earning the last possession of the half. Mullins milked the clock and hit Josh Bone with a pass on the baseline that Bone deposited in the basket to give SIU a 2 point lead at the break.

If Southern can step up their shooting percentage just a tick, they should be able to pull this one out in the second half.

SIU vs UNI game notes

Southern did a great job against UNI the last time these teams met. They were shooting the ball extremely well and played terrific post defense. Tonight Southern will need to establish their offense early, playing in a building that they haven't traditionally shot well in.

UNI was playing shorthanded last time and that allowed Southern to key on Eric Coleman. Coleman just happens to be playing his best basketball of the year right now, averaging 2o points and 12 rebounds over his last 3 games. The Falker/Coleman match-up will once again be crucial to each team's success.

Win or lose SIU should be playing post-season basketball. SIU has a top 50 RPI and the #3 strength of schedule (out of 341 teams) in the country, which goes a long way towards explaining their 17-13 record.

Creighton tops Bradley, advances to semi-final

Creighton held on for a 74-70 win over Bradley, but this game went down to the wire and Bradley actually came all the way back to take the lead with 2:36 remaining.

Fortunately for Creighton, Cavel Witter was able to close out Bradley by scoring the last 6 points of the game for the Jays. Whitter's two foul shots with 4 seconds remaining iced the game for CU.

Illinois State will take on Missouri State in the first game of the evening session. Rumors are swirling that Barry Hinson is on the hot seat at Mo State so this game goes a long way in dictating Hinson's future in Springfield.

The Bears and the Redbirds have just taken the floor for a shoot around. We'll be back in a few hours with live game action between the two teams. Then we'll start gearing up for the game we've all been waiting for, the Salukis vs the Panthers at 8:30 pm this evening.

Run 'n Gun

Creighton and Bradley are at least trying to get to triple digits in this game. It's 40-27 Creighton at halftime and the Jays are red hot, shooting 53% in the first half and 7 of 15 from downtown.

Bradley's defense has not been very good. They are allowing Creighton to beat them on the dribble and it's opened up a lot of opportunities for CU.

Crouch and Ruffin are a combined 2-8, which is a really bad sign for the Braves. A game of this tempo favors the deeper team and Creighton played 10 guys in the first half. Look for more fireworks in the second. Barring a complete collapse by the Jays it'll be Creighton and Drake in tomorrow's first semifinal match-up.

Friday afternoon MVC action

Well, the Drake Bulldogs showed why they’re the #1 seed, moving swiftly past Indiana State 68-46. Klayton Korver was impressive, hitting three from beyond the arc and moving closer to becoming Drake's all time leader in 3-pointers made.

Next up... Bradley and Creighton in what should be a fun game to watch. Really not much has changed since these teams played a 2-OT thriller last week. I do expect this to be a lower scoring game than last time with both teams in a fairly unfamiliar shooting environment.

This game will probably go down to the wire, but if I had to make a pick... I’d take Creighton because of their depth and the coaching of Dana Altman. It should be a good one.