Illinois State defeated Southern Illinois 75-68 on Thursday night in Carbondale, overcoming an eight-point deficit early in the second half. The Redbirds capitalized on 16 turnovers by the Salukis and a career-high 22 points from junior Ty Pence.
Southern Illinois, led by head coach Scott Nagy, competes in the Missouri Valley Conference and plays home games at the Banterra Center in Carbondale, Illinois. The program has a history of NCAA Division I competition and has produced NBA talent such as Walt Frazier. The team has made ten NCAA Tournament appearances and won the NAIA national championship in 1946. More details about their tradition can be found on their official website.
After leading at halftime, Southern Illinois saw its advantage slip away following a strong run by Illinois State. Head Coach Scott Nagy said, “They turned up their physicality, and we just didn’t match it. It’s one of the reasons why we had nine turnovers at the half, that they just pushed us around, and we just weren’t very physical.”
Quel’Ron House led Southern early with 10 of his team’s first 12 points as part of a balanced offensive effort that put them ahead by five at intermission.
A key moment came when Rolyns Aligbe converted a three-point play to give Southern a 42-34 lead with under 17 minutes left. However, Illinois State responded with a nine-point run to take control.
Chase Walker gave Illinois State a nine-point cushion late in the game with a layup that was questioned for traveling by fans and coaches alike. Following this play, Coach Nagy received a technical foul while expressing his frustration.
Both teams struggled at the free throw line; Illinois State shot 38.9% (7-for-18) while Southern managed only 54.5% (12-for-22).
Southern closed to within five points with fifteen seconds remaining but could not overcome the deficit.
The Salukis are now 6-6 overall and fell to 0-1 in conference play after suffering their first home loss of the season.
Next up for Southern Illinois is an away game against Bradley on Sunday. Bradley recently secured an overtime win over Indiana State.
For ongoing updates about Southern Illinois Salukis Men’s Basketball games and events—including schedules, scores, news about alumni like Walt Frazier whose number has been retired—fans can visit their official website or follow team accounts on social media platforms.
