McCluer North, featuring SIU commits Torres Roundtree and Anthony Booker, took on Gateway Tech in the championship game of the Carbondale Holiday Tournament.
McCluer won the game 69-60 but Gateway Tech's Jesse Perry had an outstanding game and put up 23 points in the loss.
Foul trouble plagued Roundtree and Booker so they had limited playing time in the first half. Both players still made an impact on the game, Roundtree scored 10 points with 5 rebounds and Booker added 11 points and 7 boards.
Booker seemed to make the biggest impact of any player in the game. Gateway was able to make huge runs when Booker was on the bench but McCluer was in control when Booker was back on the floor.
Below are some video highlights of the game. First you'll see Anthony Booker highlights beginning with a nice baseline jumper.
Next you'll see a Jesse Perry dunk then the Torres Roundtree highlights. Enjoy.
Monday, December 31, 2007
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Salukis Kick Off Valley Play With Win
SIU put five players in double figures on their way to a 79-71 win over Missouri State. Getting to 79 points was impressive considering it was mostly a half court game. The Dawgs worked for high percentage shots and went 47% from the field and 54% from 3 point land.
Things are coming together for the Salukis just in time for the start of conference play. The Salukis are playing good hard basketball right now and things are starting to click on offense.
Joshua Bone is a big reason for the Salukis' resurgence. Bone followed up his career high 19 point performance on Friday with 17 points on Sunday. It was an efficient 17 point game for Bone, he went 7 of 10 from the floor including 3 of 5 from beyond the arc. A long time salukihoops.com favorite, Bone IS the shooter that many said this team was lacking.
Bryan Mullins had a nice bounce back game on Sunday. After missing some clutch free throws against Butler, Mullins hit 9 of 11 free throws and his performance from the line in the game's final minutes launched SIU to a 1-0 record in MVC play.
Tony Boyle, Wesley Clemmons, and Randal Falker also went for double figures in this game going a combined 13 of 16 from the foul line. Boyle has impressive shooting touch for a big man and he was a perfect 5 of 5 from the line.
Randal Falker continues his quest to shoot 70% from the stripe with a 5 of 7 performance that puts him at a much improved 67% for the season.
Now the Salukis hit the road for their next two games, heading to Drake on Wednesday (Mediacom) and to Illinois State next Saturday (WSIU). Both Drake (8-1, RPI 20) and Illinois State (8-3, RPI 61) are much improved from last season. Southern is yet to win a true road game this season so these next two games will be an important test for the Salukis. Stay Tuned.
Things are coming together for the Salukis just in time for the start of conference play. The Salukis are playing good hard basketball right now and things are starting to click on offense.
Joshua Bone is a big reason for the Salukis' resurgence. Bone followed up his career high 19 point performance on Friday with 17 points on Sunday. It was an efficient 17 point game for Bone, he went 7 of 10 from the floor including 3 of 5 from beyond the arc. A long time salukihoops.com favorite, Bone IS the shooter that many said this team was lacking.
Bryan Mullins had a nice bounce back game on Sunday. After missing some clutch free throws against Butler, Mullins hit 9 of 11 free throws and his performance from the line in the game's final minutes launched SIU to a 1-0 record in MVC play.
Tony Boyle, Wesley Clemmons, and Randal Falker also went for double figures in this game going a combined 13 of 16 from the foul line. Boyle has impressive shooting touch for a big man and he was a perfect 5 of 5 from the line.
Randal Falker continues his quest to shoot 70% from the stripe with a 5 of 7 performance that puts him at a much improved 67% for the season.
Now the Salukis hit the road for their next two games, heading to Drake on Wednesday (Mediacom) and to Illinois State next Saturday (WSIU). Both Drake (8-1, RPI 20) and Illinois State (8-3, RPI 61) are much improved from last season. Southern is yet to win a true road game this season so these next two games will be an important test for the Salukis. Stay Tuned.
Friday, December 28, 2007
Salukis beaten at the foul line, not at the buzzer
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.
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.
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Arena Magic
Merry Christmas Saluki fans! After 10 games this season there is a big enough sample size to examine some statistics. Let’s start with the frequently discussed statistic of shooting percentage.
The Salukis have compiled some great wins at SIU Arena over the last 6+ seasons. All teams are more comfortable at home but the Salukis have used their "Arena Magic" to go 82-4 at home since 2001. This season has been no exception; the Salukis have shot the ball much better at home than on the road…
The Dawgs have shot 46% (98-213) at home, going 3-1.
On a neutral court the Salukis have shot 40.4% (57-141), finishing 2-1 in Anaheim.
Road games are where the Salukis have struggled so far shooting 32.7% (53-162), en route to a 0-3 record.
Another stat that I decided to take a look at was personal fouls. The Salukis play a rugged style of defense that lends itself to committing a foul or two.
Tony Boyle has averaged a foul every 7 minutes, an improvement over last year when he committed a foul every 5.33 minutes. In contrast, Matt Shaw has done an excellent job of staying out of foul trouble- only averaging a foul every 13.6 minutes.
Coming into this season I said that when Shaw and Falker combine for 30 points, the Salukis would have the key ingredient for success. So far the Dawgs are 3-1 when the senior duo hits the 30 point mark.
Congratulations to Randal Falker who is now the all-time blocked shot leader at SIU. Falker recorded his 165th career blocked shot on Saturday, passing Joe C. Meriweather for the top spot on the career blocked shot list.
Falker also scored his 1000th career point against Western Kentucky on Saturday. Falker joins teammate Matt Shaw in the 1000 point club, Shaw connected for his 1000th point against Charlotte earlier this month.
I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas. Santa was very good to my family and I hope he was good to yours as well. Check out the Gifts for Saluki Basketball over at Dawg Tracker.
It’s a crucial stretch for the Salukis who play two home games in 42 hours this weekend. The competition will be tough but a little Arena Magic could go a long way towards getting this season right back on track.
The Salukis have compiled some great wins at SIU Arena over the last 6+ seasons. All teams are more comfortable at home but the Salukis have used their "Arena Magic" to go 82-4 at home since 2001. This season has been no exception; the Salukis have shot the ball much better at home than on the road…
The Dawgs have shot 46% (98-213) at home, going 3-1.
On a neutral court the Salukis have shot 40.4% (57-141), finishing 2-1 in Anaheim.
Road games are where the Salukis have struggled so far shooting 32.7% (53-162), en route to a 0-3 record.
Another stat that I decided to take a look at was personal fouls. The Salukis play a rugged style of defense that lends itself to committing a foul or two.
Tony Boyle has averaged a foul every 7 minutes, an improvement over last year when he committed a foul every 5.33 minutes. In contrast, Matt Shaw has done an excellent job of staying out of foul trouble- only averaging a foul every 13.6 minutes.
Coming into this season I said that when Shaw and Falker combine for 30 points, the Salukis would have the key ingredient for success. So far the Dawgs are 3-1 when the senior duo hits the 30 point mark.
Congratulations to Randal Falker who is now the all-time blocked shot leader at SIU. Falker recorded his 165th career blocked shot on Saturday, passing Joe C. Meriweather for the top spot on the career blocked shot list.
Falker also scored his 1000th career point against Western Kentucky on Saturday. Falker joins teammate Matt Shaw in the 1000 point club, Shaw connected for his 1000th point against Charlotte earlier this month.
I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas. Santa was very good to my family and I hope he was good to yours as well. Check out the Gifts for Saluki Basketball over at Dawg Tracker.
It’s a crucial stretch for the Salukis who play two home games in 42 hours this weekend. The competition will be tough but a little Arena Magic could go a long way towards getting this season right back on track.
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Salukis Hold Court Against Hilltoppers
Times have been pretty hard of late for the Salukis, but you would never know that by the way they played this afternoon. The Dawgs looked strong from buzzer to buzzer against the Hilltoppers of Western Kentucky with an 88-78 victory at the Arena.
Wesley Clemmons and Matt Shaw led the Salukis with 24 apiece, while Randal Falker added 20. Western Kentucky was paced by Courtney Lee who lived up to the hype and tossed in 30 for the boys from Bowling Green.
The early stages of today's contest featured alternating runs. The Salukis scored the first ten points of the game. Then the Hilltoppers countered with a 16-2 run. These middle heavyweights traded shots throughout the first half, but the Salukis headed into the break with a 40-36 advantage.
The second half began with a Salukis mini-run after a Wesley Clemmons three pointer, but the Hilltoppers knotted it up at 53-53 with 13:00 remaining. As the game entered its later stages, you could feel the confidence of the Salukis building and Bryan Mullins effectively sealed the deal with a clutch three pointer around the 3:00 mark. Tyrone Green extended the lead to 10 points with a pair of free throws after a steal and the party was on.
Statistically, the Salukis won the battle of the boards and shot 57% from 3-point range and from the field, while shooting 78% from the line.The offense nearly matched the combined total of its two previous games in half of the time. With three players over 20 points, the sports information department will be scrambling to find a precedent in recent program history.
Realistically, this is the first game all year that the Salukis consistently took shots in rhythm, which was a welcome sight. Shaw and Falker were effective in every aspect of the game, totaling 44 points and 16 rebounds. Also, Wesley Clemmons appears to have shaken off the lingering effects of his ankle injury. He was everywhere today.
Up next... the Butler Bulldogs on the 28th, followed by Missouri State on the 30th.
Wesley Clemmons and Matt Shaw led the Salukis with 24 apiece, while Randal Falker added 20. Western Kentucky was paced by Courtney Lee who lived up to the hype and tossed in 30 for the boys from Bowling Green.
The early stages of today's contest featured alternating runs. The Salukis scored the first ten points of the game. Then the Hilltoppers countered with a 16-2 run. These middle heavyweights traded shots throughout the first half, but the Salukis headed into the break with a 40-36 advantage.
The second half began with a Salukis mini-run after a Wesley Clemmons three pointer, but the Hilltoppers knotted it up at 53-53 with 13:00 remaining. As the game entered its later stages, you could feel the confidence of the Salukis building and Bryan Mullins effectively sealed the deal with a clutch three pointer around the 3:00 mark. Tyrone Green extended the lead to 10 points with a pair of free throws after a steal and the party was on.
Statistically, the Salukis won the battle of the boards and shot 57% from 3-point range and from the field, while shooting 78% from the line.The offense nearly matched the combined total of its two previous games in half of the time. With three players over 20 points, the sports information department will be scrambling to find a precedent in recent program history.
Realistically, this is the first game all year that the Salukis consistently took shots in rhythm, which was a welcome sight. Shaw and Falker were effective in every aspect of the game, totaling 44 points and 16 rebounds. Also, Wesley Clemmons appears to have shaken off the lingering effects of his ankle injury. He was everywhere today.
Up next... the Butler Bulldogs on the 28th, followed by Missouri State on the 30th.
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