Trailing by eight points with just over four minutes remaining, Southern Illinois University (SIU) managed a comeback victory against Valparaiso, winning 79-75 on Wednesday night. This marks SIU’s fifth win in their last six games, improving their record to 10-12 overall and 5-6 in the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC).
The Salukis ended the game by making seven of their final nine field goals while preventing the Beacons from scoring for more than four minutes.
Kennard Davis Jr. led five Salukis scoring in double figures with 19 points, including an impeccable 11-for-11 at the free throw line. Jorge Moreno contributed a career-high 13 points along with five rebounds. Moreno was perfect from the field and made two crucial free throws late in the game.
Davis put SIU ahead with a step-back three-pointer with less than two minutes left. Jarrett Hensley secured the lead for good with a dunk following All Wright’s tying free throw.
Davis scored 12 of his total points in the second half, while Ali Dibba added 11 points after halftime.
Southern Illinois started strong with a 7-2 lead before Valparaiso came back to take an early advantage. The Beacons benefited from seven foul calls against SIU during one stretch, while only being called for one themselves.
Valpo entered halftime leading 34-29. Cooper Schwieger led Valpo with nine first-half points, while Hensley and Davis paced SIU.
The Salukis dominated on rebounds, outrebounding Valpo 40-27. Hensley led all players with nine rebounds alongside his scoring contribution.
In terms of shooting accuracy, SIU shot at a rate of 50.9 percent compared to Valpo’s 41.9 percent. Despite this difference, Valpo made ten three-pointers compared to SIU’s three successful attempts from beyond the arc.
Wright was Valpo’s top scorer with 22 points and four assists, followed by Schwieger and Tyler Schmidt who also reached double digits.
Looking ahead, SIU will host Drake on Saturday at home for a “White Out” event broadcasted nationally on ESPNU.
Fans can stay updated through various social media platforms or purchase tickets online without additional fees this season.
