SLU’s Tim Dalger (left) defends SIU’s Trey Miller during Saturday’s NCAA men’s basketball game at the Banterra Center in Carbondale, Ill. (Photo: Thomas Grove)
| NCAA Men’s Basketball | 1 | 2 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saint Louis University (5-4) | 27 | 35 | 62 |
| Southern Illinois (5-2) | 42 | 59 | 101 |
DeMarcus Dixon
Staff Writer
CARBONDALE, IL — Southern Illinois shot 66 percent from the field and 62 percent from 3-point range on a hot-shooting afternoon at the Banterra Center, as the Salukis defeated Saint Louis University, 101-62, in an NCAA men’s basketball game between nearby rivals.
The loss was the first time Saint Louis had allowed 100 points or more in more than three decades.
“Not a whole lot to say,” SLU head coach Travis Ford said. “Give them credit and we stunk it up. That’s pretty much it.”
Southern Illinois grabbed a double-digit lead midway through the first half and never looked back. Saint Louis did get within eight points late in the first half, but the Salukis put together a major run to end the first half and begin the second that put the game out of reach.
At one point, in the second half Southern Illinois made 20 of 24 shots, including eight straight three-pointers. The Salukis made 18 three’s for the game, the most ever allowed in a game by SLU.
“It snowballed and we didn’t have much fight,” Ford said. “What’s absolutely killing our team right now, and we knew this going in, is 50-50 balls. And timely rebounding is killing us. We never get 50-50 balls. They beat us speed wise and quickness wise and on big possessions. We’re lacking in that toughness and reaction we need.”
Tim Dalger led the Billikens with a season-high 18 points. Kellen Thames recorded his first-career double-double after posting career bests of 10 points and 11 rebounds. Gibson Jimerson also scored in double figures with 10 points.
Cian Medley scored seven points, while fellow freshman Djordje Curcic drained a pair of treys and finished with six points.
Starting guards Michael Meadows Jr. and Larry Hughes II both left in the first half with injuries and did not return. The Billikens were also playing without leading scorer Sincere Parker, who remains sidelined with a foot injury.
“We need everyone to step up,” Ford said. “Everybody is getting an opportunity to play. It’s their time — take advantage. Produce a little more.”
Southern Illinois’ Xavier Johnson led all scorers with 31 points, on 11-of-15 shooting, and 6-of-8 from 3-point range.
“They made some tough ones, but (Johnson) is one of the best one-on-one players we’ve faced,” Ford said. “He got all of his 3s one-on-one. He made tough ones, and then we had to start playing him and he starts kicking it.”
SLU will be back in action on Wednesday, when it heads to Des Moines to play Drake. Tip off is set for 7 p.m.
Saint Louis University 62
| ## | Player | GS | MIN | FG | 3PT | FT | ORB-DRB | REB | PF | A | TO | BLK | STL | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 05 | Dalger, Tim | * | 37 | 6-14 | 0-4 | 6-11 | 1-1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 18 |
| 24 | Jimerson, Gibson | * | 36 | 4-6 | 0-1 | 2-3 | 0-1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 22 | Hargrove Jr., Terrence | * | 30 | 3-9 | 1-4 | 2-2 | 4-4 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 9 |
| 02 | Hughes II, Larry | * | 13 | 0-1 | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 07 | Meadows Jr., Michael | * | 6 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 00 | Thames, Kellen | 23 | 4-7 | 0-1 | 2-4 | 4-7 | 11 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 10 | |
| 01 | Medley, Cian | 24 | 2-9 | 1-4 | 2-2 | 0-0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 7 | |
| 04 | Curcic, Djordje | 19 | 2-3 | 2-3 | 0-0 | 1-0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 6 | |
| 12 | Zhang, Bruce | 8 | 1-2 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| 15 | van Bussel, Stef | 4 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-2 | 1-0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| TM | TEAM | 0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 2-1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Totals | – | 200 | 22-51 | 4-18 | 14-24 | 13-16 | 29 | 15 | 9 | 19 | 3 | 7 | 62 |
Southern Illinois 101
| ## | Player | GS | MIN | FG | 3PT | FT | ORB-DRB | REB | PF | A | TO | BLK | STL | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Johnson,Xavier | * | 32 | 11-15 | 6-8 | 3-3 | 0-3 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 31 |
| 00 | D’Amico,Troy | * | 32 | 8-11 | 3-5 | 1-2 | 2-1 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 20 |
| 04 | Rupert,Clarence | * | 25 | 6-6 | 0-0 | 2-4 | 1-6 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 14 |
| 30 | Davis Jr.,Kennard | * | 33 | 4-6 | 3-5 | 0-2 | 0-3 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 11 |
| 24 | Brown,Trent | * | 35 | 3-6 | 3-6 | 0-0 | 0-4 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 9 |
| 33 | Stulic,Jovan | 22 | 4-6 | 3-5 | 3-3 | 0-3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 14 | |
| 02 | Ebube,Scottie | 7 | 1-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 2-2 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| 23 | McGee,RJ | 7 | 0-2 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 25 | Miller,Trey | 7 | 0-3 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| TM | TEAM | 0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Totals | – | 200 | 37-56 | 18-29 | 9-14 | 5-22 | 27 | 20 | 25 | 12 | 6 | 16 | 101 |
2023-24 SLU Billikens Men’s Basketball Schedule
| Date | Gametime | At | Opponent | Location | TV | Radio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 6, 2023 (Wednesday) | 7 pm | Away | Drake | Des Moines, Iowa (Knapp Center) | KMOX 1120AM | |
| December 9, 2023 (Saturday) | 2 pm | Home | Hofstra | Chaifetz Arena | BSMW & ESPN+ | KMOX 1120AM |
| December 16, 2023 (Saturday) | 7 pm | Home | Louisiana Tech | Chaifetz Arena | BSMW EXTRA & ESPN+ | KMOX 1120AM |
| December 20, 2023 (Wednesday) | 6 pm | Away | NC State | Raleigh, N.C. (PNC Arena) | KMOX 1120AM | |
| January 3, 2024 (Wednesday) | 6 pm | Home | Loyola Chicago | Chaifetz Arena | BSMW & ESPN+ | KMOX 1120AM |
| January 6, 2024 (Saturday) | 1 pm | Away | George Mason | Fairfax, Va. (EagleBank Arena) | USA Network | KMOX 1120AM |
| January 10, 2024 (Wednesday) | 6 pm | Home | Saint Joseph’s | Chaifetz Arena | CBSSN | KMOX 1120AM |
| January 16, 2024 (Tuesday) | 7 pm | Away | Dayton | Dayton, Ohio (UD Arena) | CBSSN | KMOX 1120AM |
| January 19, 2024 (Friday) | 6 pm | Away | VCU | Richmond, Va. (Siegel Center) | ESPN2 | KMOX 1120AM |
| January 24, 2024 (Wednesday) | 6 pm | Home | Davidson | Chaifetz Arena | BSMW & ESPN+ | KMOX 1120AM |
| January 27, 2024 (Saturday) | 7 pm | Home | Massachusetts | Chaifetz Arena | BSMW & ESPN+ | KMOX 1120AM |
| January 30, 2024 (Tuesday) | 7 pm | Away | Loyola Chicago | Chicago, Ill. (Gentile Arena) | BSMW & ESPN+ | KMOX 1120AM |
| February 3, 2024 (Saturday) | 1:30 pm | Home | Fordham | Chaifetz Arena | USA Network | KMOX 1120AM |
| February 7, 2024 (Wednesday) | 5:30 pm | Away | La Salle | Philadelphia, Pa. (Gola Arena) | BSMW & ESPN+ | KMOX 1120AM |
| February 10, 2024 (Saturday) | 11:30 am | Away | Saint Joseph’s | Philadelphia, Pa. (Hagan Arena) | USA Network | KMOX 1120AM |
| February 16, 2024 (Friday) | 6 pm | Home | VCU | Chaifetz Arena | ESPN2 | KMOX 1120AM |
| February 20, 2024 (Tuesday) | 6 pm | Away | Duquesne | Pittsburgh, Pa. (UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse) | BSMW & ESPN+ | KMOX 1120AM |
| February 24, 2024 (Saturday) | 2 pm | Home | George Washington | Chaifetz Arena | BSMW & ESPN+ | KMOX 1120AM |
| February 28, 2024 (Wednesday) | 7 pm | Home | Richmond | Chaifetz Arena | BSMW & ESPN+ | KMOX 1120AM |
| March 2, 2024 (Saturday) | 3 pm | Away | Rhode Island | Kingston, R.I. (Ryan Center) | CBSSN | KMOX 1120AM |
| March 5, 2024 (Tuesday) | 8 pm | Home | Dayton | Chaifetz Arena | CBSSN | KMOX 1120AM |
| March 9, 2024 (Saturday) | 11:30 am | Away | St. Bonaventure | St. Bonaventure, N.Y. (Reilly Center) | USA Network | KMOX 1120AM |
| March 12-17 Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament | TBA | Neutral | TBA | Brooklyn, N.Y. (Barclay’s Center) |