Carbondale Reporter

Southern Illinois University faced a setback in their basketball game against Valparaiso on Saturday night, losing 83-79 at the Banterra Center. This marks the fourth consecutive defeat for the Salukis.

Kennard Davis Jr. led Southern Illinois with 21 points and six assists, while Ali Dibba contributed 16 points and seven rebounds. Jarrett Hensley achieved his fourth double-double of the season with 10 points and 12 rebounds.

The Salukis started strong, holding Valparaiso to a poor shooting performance early in the game and establishing a lead with a 16-4 run. They extended their advantage to as much as 16 points before Valpo's All Wright initiated a comeback for his team. Wright scored nine consecutive points to help close the gap by halftime, leaving Valpo trailing by only six points at 37-31.

Southern Illinois capitalized on turnovers from Valparaiso in the first half but saw that advantage diminish as VU improved its ball handling in the second half. The Salukis managed to extend their lead to 11 points midway through the second half, but Valpo responded with a decisive 15-2 run that shifted momentum in their favor.

All Wright was instrumental for Valpo, scoring nine of his total 29 points during this critical stretch. Justus McNair's three-pointer gave Valpo its first lead since early in the game. Drew Steffe tried to rally SIU late with key plays, including converting a three-point play, but it wasn't enough as Valpo secured victory from the free-throw line.

Despite shooting consistently throughout both halves—50 percent initially and then slightly lower at 47.1 percent—the Salukis couldn't match Valpo's improved accuracy of over 53 percent in the latter part of play.

Damien Mayo Jr., alongside Steffe, also reached double figures for Southern Illinois with each scoring 11 points.

Looking ahead, SIU will host Illinois State for their final home game on February 25th at Banterra Center, marking Senior Day for the team.

Fans can follow updates on SIUSalukis.com or via social media platforms like X (@SIU_Basketball), Instagram (@SIU_Basketball), and Facebook (Facebook.com/SIUBasketball). Additionally, supporters can download their mobile app available on App Store or Google Play Store.