Carbondale Reporter

The Southern Illinois men's basketball team secured a victory against UIC with a score of 79-67 at Banterra Center on Saturday. This win completes a season sweep over the Flames and marks the Salukis' seventh win in their last nine games. The team has improved from an initial 0-5 in the Missouri Valley Conference to an even 7-7 record.

Key players for the Salukis included Kennard Davis Jr., who scored 23 points along with five rebounds and three assists, and freshman guard Drew Steffe, who achieved a career-high of 20 points, hitting four out of seven attempts from beyond the arc.

Both teams had a slow start, scoring only 11 points combined in nearly seven minutes. However, Southern Illinois initiated an 8-0 run led by Davion Sykes' layup off the bench. Damien Mayo Jr. contributed with a three-point play during this period, which ended with Sykes scoring a triple to put SIU ahead at 12-7.

In the first half, Southern Illinois limited UIC to just nine field goals out of 31 attempts and kept them scoreless for almost five minutes. The Salukis turned defensive stops into offensive opportunities, making five out of thirteen shots from long range and forcing six turnovers from UIC. They entered halftime leading by eight points.

In the second half, Southern Illinois extended their lead to as much as 24 points midway through. Steffe added three more three-pointers in his 18 minutes on court during this period, scoring most of his points after halftime. Davis also performed well in the second half with an additional 15 points.

Senior Jarrett Hensley recorded a double-double with ten points and eleven rebounds while Mayo contributed eleven points and four rebounds without missing any free throws.

Southern Illinois dominated inside by outscoring UIC in the paint by twenty points and winning the rebound battle by nine boards. Tyem Freeman and Ahmad Henderson II led UIC's effort with twelve points each.

Looking ahead, Southern Illinois will face Bradley next week in Peoria, Illinois at Carver Arena with tipoff scheduled for Wednesday at 6 p.m. CT.

Fans can stay updated on all Saluki news through SIUSalukis.com or follow their social media accounts on X (@SIU_Basketball), Instagram (@SIU_Basketball), and Facebook (Facebook.com/SIUBasketball). The "Salukis" mobile app is also available for download from both major app stores.