Carbondale Reporter

Southern Illinois University's basketball team celebrated a victory on Senior Night, defeating Illinois State 88-79 at Banterra Center. Four players from the Salukis scored in double digits, with sophomore Kennard Davis Jr. leading all scorers with 24 points, alongside five assists and four rebounds. Ali Dibba contributed 22 points, six rebounds, and four assists.

The only senior honored during the game was Jarrett Hensley from Merriam, Kansas. He began the match by scoring a three-pointer and concluded his final game in Carbondale with 17 points and seven rebounds. Coach Scott Nagy expressed his happiness for Hensley, stating, "I'm mostly just happy for Jarrett to be able to have a good senior night and to have something that will be a positive memory for him."

Illinois State's Dalton Bank briefly put the Redbirds ahead with a jumper early in the game. However, Southern Illinois responded with a significant run of 13 consecutive points. Drew Steffe was instrumental during this period, hitting two triples and finishing the game with an impressive 5-for-5 record from beyond the arc.

The Salukis' defense was crucial in maintaining their lead as they held Illinois State scoreless for nearly five minutes during a critical first-half stretch. By halftime, SIU led 43-35.

In the second half, Chase Walker and Malachi Poindexter of Illinois State worked to close the gap but were met with resistance from Southern Illinois. Despite efforts from Walker to draw fouls and Poindexter's successful three-pointers, Kennard Davis Jr.'s back-to-back triples secured the win for Southern Illinois.

Looking ahead, Southern Illinois will play against Indiana State on March 2 in Terre Haute.