Carbondale Reporter

Southern Illinois University secured its first win of the season with an 86-64 victory over Missouri S&T on Friday night at Banterra Center. Kennard Davis Jr. nearly achieved a triple-double, recording career highs with 22 points, eight assists, and seven steals. The sophomore led the Salukis in scoring for the first time with a 20-point game.

Elijah Elliott and Ali Dibba also contributed significantly, scoring 14 and 12 points respectively. The Salukis entered halftime with a narrow lead of 38-33 after a closely contested first half featuring six lead changes and five ties.

"The first half was certainly not to our standards," said head coach Scott Nagy. "I thought the second half was better... part of it is because they know I have high expectations."

In the second half, Southern Illinois outscored Missouri S&T by 48-31. The Salukis forced their opponents into 15 turnovers and capitalized on these opportunities to score 19 points off turnovers.

The team used its size advantage effectively throughout the game, outscoring Missouri S&T near the basket by 50-18. Southern Illinois finished with a shooting percentage of 53% from the field and made seven shots from behind the arc.

Dibba and Davis each hit two three-pointers during the match. Elliott scored most of his points in the second half, while Jarrett Hensley and Antwaun Massey had strong performances down low. Freshman Rolyns Aligbe added seven points in his debut at Banterra Center.

Missouri S&T's Ryan Sroka led his team with 13 points, while Aidan Burns added another 11 points.

Southern Illinois will next face Oklahoma State on November 14 in Gallagher-Iba Arena for their final game in a two-for-one series with the Cowboys.

Fans can follow updates about Southern Illinois University basketball through various social media platforms or by downloading their mobile app.