CARBONDALE, Ill. – Southern Illinois and Missouri State are poised to compete for the second consecutive match on Wednesday evening in Springfield. The tipoff is planned for 6 p.m. CT at Great Southern Bank Arena.
HOW TO FOLLOW - The broadcasting team on ESPN Plus features John Rooney and Rich Zvosec.
- Locally, the radio coverage is available on 101.5 CIL-FM, via the Saluki Radio Network, SIUSalukis.com/Listen, the Saluki Mobile App, and the Varsity Network App, with Luke Martin and Rodney Watson providing the commentary.
- Fans can track Live Stats at SIUSalukis.com.
QUICK HITS
- SIU approaches the game with a record of 6-11 overall and 1-5 in MVC play following their victory against Missouri State at home on Saturday.
- Ali Dibba recorded 33 points on the road at Belmont before Jarrett Hensley scored 30 at home against Missouri State. They are the first duo from Saluki to score 30 or more in a season since 2005-06, when Jamaal Tatum (37) and Tony Young (30) achieved this against Eastern Washington and Bradley.
- Ali Dibba leads the squad with an average of 15.7 points per game. He has managed to score 10 or more points in all but a couple of games this season.
- Dibba achieved a career-high of 33 points at Belmont. He concluded the game shooting 13-for-23 from the field, 5-for-8 from three-point range, and was just a rebound shy of a double-double. His 13 field goals made also set a record against the opponent at the Curb Event Center.
- Kennard Davis Jr. ranks second on the team with an average of 13.7 points per game, alongside 4.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists. Davis stands second in the MVC regarding steals, averaging 1.8 per game this season. He has accumulated 29 steals this year after just 22 throughout last season.
- Jarrett Hensley recorded a career-high of 30 points during an overtime win against Missouri State, including nailing three 3-pointers. He ranks third on the team with 11.5 points per game and leads with 5.8 rebounds per game. Hensley also tops SIU and ranks 10th in the MVC for blocked shots with 15.
- Hensley has scored in double digits in three consecutive games starting from Jan. 5. The senior player has achieved double-figure scoring in 10 games this season.
- Drew Steffe set a career-best of 16 points against Missouri State, including three 3-pointers in the victory – his highest this season as a native of Frisco, Texas.
- Steffe recorded a season-high of five assists at Belmont. The freshman has contributed multiple assists in 13 out of 17 games this season. His performance of 38 assists against 13 turnovers is the best on the Salukis roster.
- SIU is placed fourth in the MVC, averaging 35.56 rebounds per game. The Salukis have been effective on the offensive boards as they rank third in the league with 11.41 offensive rebounds this season.
- SIU averages 10.71 fastbreak points per game, ranking third in the MVC.
- As a collective unit, SIU stands sixth in the Valley for blocks with an average of 2.9 per game. Jarrett Hensley leads SIU with 15 blocks and an average of 0.88 blocks per game. Antwaun Massey has recorded nine blocks for the Dawgs.
- With nine points at Belmont, freshman Rolyns Aligbe has achieved five or more points in nine games.
- SIU executed a 14-1 scoring spurt in the first half against Mo State. That marked the first scoring spurt of such significance in the first half of a game for the Salukis since an 18-3 run against La Tech on November 25.
- By winning in overtime against the Bears on Saturday, SIU ended a four-game losing streak in overtime contests.
- SIU created 10 lead changes during the match against Belmont after experiencing 12 lead changes over the previous eight games combined.
LOOKING AT MISSOURI STATE
- Missouri State enters the matchup with a 7-10 overall tally and a 0-6 record in the MVC.
- The Bears have suffered five consecutive defeats and hold a 5-3 record at Great Southern Bank Arena.
- MSU is scoring an average of 71.4 points per game this season, led by Dez White (15.4 ppg) and Vincent Bradley II (14.6 ppg).
- The Bears rank second in the MVC for forced turnovers (13.8) and steals per game, averaging 8.2 steals.
SERIES HISTORY WITH THE BEARS
- Southern Illinois holds a lead in the series against Missouri State, with a record of 54-44 dating back to 1957. This includes a 30-12 record in Carbondale, a 17-27 record in Springfield, and a 3-2 record on neutral grounds.
- SIU claimed victory in three consecutive games in the series until the Bears interrupted the streak with an overtime win in Carbondale during the only meeting last season between the teams.
- Southern secured victory in the last encounter on Saturday in Carbondale, winning 88-78 in overtime.
- The prior two encounters with Missouri State have required overtime to determine the winner. MSU triumphed last season (76-75), while SIU conquered the preceding game (88-78).
FOLLOW THE SALUKIS
Stay updated on all the recent news and developments concerning the Salukis by visiting SIUSalukis.com and following the team on X at @SIU_Basketball, Instagram at @SIU_Basketball, and on Facebook at Facebook.com/SIUBasketball. Fans can also download the “Salukis” mobile app from the App Store or Google Play Store.