TAMPA, Fla. -- Call it Tampandemonium.
After all of Thursday's games yielded just one upset that wasn't an 8-9 game, Tampa gave us four in a row on Friday.
If you're religious, today was Good Friday. If you're a hoops fan, it was great.
TAMPA, Fla. -- What a finish.
Just when it seemed that Drake had put away pesky Western Kentucky, Hilltoppers' guard Ty Rogers drilled a 3-pointer at the buzzer to seal a 101-99 upset win.
The shot came after Drake's Jon Cox, who sent the game to overtime with a 3-pointer near the end of regulation, hit two free throws with 5.7 seconds remaining in overtime to give his team a 1-point lead.
WKU's Tyrone Brazelton brought the ball down court, and it looked like he would take the last shot. With 33 points already behind him, why not? Instead he dished to Rogers, who send the red-clad Toppers' fans into complete bedlam.
Drake isn't giving up without a fight.
Josh Young hit a 3-pointer to pull the Bulldogs within 1, and the roof barely stayed on the St. Pete Times Forum.
Of course, Tyrone Brazelton answered with a 2 for WKU, but Jon Cox went down the other end and drained a 3 to tie the score at 88, with 24.6 seconds to go.
Emmenecker missed a chance with about 8 seconds left for Drake, and WKU's desperation heave didn't go, so we'll head to overtime tied at 88.
Western Kentucky is still in control, but they may have looked up for a second, similar to what Belmont did last night in its loss to Duke. The Hilltoppers stopped playing to win and just looked to kill some clock, and it cost them a few points.
Drake seems to be resting its fate in the hands of Klayton Korver. That's who they look to when they need quick points, and he is 5 of 9 from the field, all 3-pointers.
The Bulldogs have started getting their hands dirty too, scrapping for rebounds and keeping WKU off the glass.
My bracket is crying out to Drake to put together a run.
The Hilltoppers are playing at a much higher level in every aspect right now, shooting, rebounding, passing and defense.
It looks like both teams are a little tired, but they're keeping up the frantic pace from the first half. Drake favors quick possessions to open up a jump shot, while the Hilltoppers are trying to feed it down low to Magley and Evans.
Magley nearly got fouled on a layup and then got called for one himself on the other end. That's three, and he went back to the bench after just 3 minutes.
Uh-oh.
This is crazy. Drake's shot chart includes just one 2-point shot besides layups. Klayton Korver has taken a few shots from the Gulf of Mexico that, needless to say, didn't go in.
Leonard Houston leads Drake with 11 points, while Courtney Lee and Tyrone Brazelton have 9 each for WKU.
Are the refs playing favorites?
Maybe. Drake has shot 16 free throws compared to NONE in the first half for WKU. The Hilltoppers got called for 13 fouls to Drake's 6.
Tyrone Brazelton doesn't care, he just keeps shooting 3's, including a desperation heave at the buzzer that nearly dropped from half court. If they keep going in (he's 3-6) then it won't matter how many fouls are called.
Emmenecker looks a little frustrated. He's off his game and trying to drive, which isn't his strength. The Bulldogs need him functioning in his normal capacity of dishing assists and just being efficient.
Both teams have made it clear that they'll shoot from anywhere. WKU's Courtney Lee drilled about a 24-footer, and Korver tried the same but missed on the other end.
The forum is getting pretty rowdy now. It's almost full, with a lot of fans who look like they're trying to figure out who to root for.
Hilltoppers' fans are pretty ticked off at the officiating. D.J. Magley was looking pretty solid in the paint, but two early fouls forced him to sit. They're in an odd position, an underdog team playing Drake, who was an underdog all year beloved by most. WKU doesn't seem to be getting any love as the little guy - from fans or refs.
Great start for WKU's Jeremy Adams. He had a dunk on the first possession and then blocked a Drake layin. The Hilltoppers are dominating down low and keeping their fans in a frenzy.
Drake is mostly staying outside, trying to pick the right opportunities to go in the paint. The Hilltoppers have a definite size advantage, so it looks like the Bulldogs will need to get hot from outside.
First off, I don't have an assigned seat so I'm a bit of a drifter today. My apologies if I disappear for a half.
We're about to tip off between Drake and Western Kentucky, and there's a lot of blue here in Tampa. No, not Drake fans, empty blue seats in the St. Pete Times Forum.
I'm sure it will fill up more as the game goes on, and as of now both Drake and Western Kentucky have a rowdy few sections of supporters.
(FYI: The Hilltoppers' band is playing 'You Give Love a Bad Name' by Bon Jovi. Major points there)
Several of Drake's fans are still hanging around Hinkle after the game, cheering on the players as they emerge from the locker room.
Some stats and notes from Drake's 71-64 win over Butler.
Both teams shot 24-54 from the floor. Drake made one less three pointer, shooting 5-17. Butler was 6-24, but only 1-8 in the second half. The teams each averaged just over 9 made threes per game, so those are pretty low totals.
Drake won the game at the line, shooting 18-20 Butler was 10-16, with a couple of missed front ends of 1-and-1s in the second half.
In the first half, Butler had 8 assists and one turnover. In the second half, they had two assists and 9 turnovers.
Drake outrebounded Butler by seven today, which lines up with the team stats. Drake has a 3 board per game lead over its opponents, but Butler gets outrebounded by an average of one per game.
Josh Young led Drake with 25 points on 7-13 shooting from the floor, including 3-5 from beyond the arc. He was also 8-8 from the line.
Leonard Houston had 16 and Jonathan Cox had 11 in support.
Butler was led by Graves' 18 and Matt Howard's 16. Mike Green had 12.
There were only four fast break points in the entire game, two by each team.
There wasn't much noteworthy said after the game. Butler coach Brad Stevens and Graves, already changed into a t-shirt and jeans, were pretty somber, as you might expect.
Keno Davis, Josh Young and Adam Emmenecker were happier, of course, but not in the "we've never done this before" way. They weren't overly exuberant either.
Emmenecker did talk about how they were looking forward to playing here. He said, "It's a historic place. We were all excited to come here. Even though I'm from Michigan, I had heard a lot about this place. It's an honor to play here."
And that's a wrap from Indy. I think security may have to kick the Drake fans out. They aren't in any hurry to go.
Drake and Butler meet today in the highlight game of this year's bracket buster series to decide which is the better Bulldog. There isn't much else at stake though. Like most of the bracket buster games over the years, this one really has no bearing on selection for the tournament. Both of these teams are in barring a major collapse.
Seeding could be affected though. Neither team has a win over a sure tournament team this year, and neither has even played many. Drake's best opponent by far was St. Mary's, which beat the Bulldogs in the second game of the year. Butler smoked Ohio St at home in December. The committee is unlikely to reward either of these teams with terribly high seeds (compared to their respective poll rankings), but the winner would have an edge over the loser.
Both teams like to bomb away from the three-point line. Drake is 15th in the nation in made threes per game with 9.3, and Butler is right behind them at 9.2. Both are also in the top 25 in the nation in free throw percentage, which makes coming back on either of them difficult.
The game may end up getting won in the post then, where Butler has freshman Matt Howard. Howard is having a terrific debut season, leading the Horizon league in FG percentage. He is also second in offensive rebounds and fourth in blocked shots. Keeping him off the offensive glass will be a key for Drake.
They also need to stop the penetration of Mike Green, who creates a lot off offense for Butler by getting into the lane.
For Drake, the formula is easy - hit their long range shots and take care of the ball. Sophomore Josh Young leads the league in three pointers made and is second in scoring. His range has no limit and he doesn't care if he's open. When I saw him at Illinois St a few weeks ago, he only shot two of his 11 three pointers inside of 25', and was only a step closer on those. Only four or five of those shots were open. In spite of that, he's second in the league and 33rd nationally in three point percentage.
You can follow along with the action in the box below. You can vote in polls, comment or ask questions about the game, so feel free to pitch in.
NORMAL, Ill. -- The historic run continues for Drake after a 73-70 win over Illinois State. The Bulldogs are now 21-1, which is the best start in school history. It's only the fifth time ever they have won 21 in one season, and it hasn't happened in 37 years.
Their 20-game winning streak is obviously the longest in school history and the fourth-longest ever by a MVC team. It is also the first time since 1970 that Drake has won 12 conference games.
After the game, coach Keno Davis talked about how his team feels about having a four game lead.
"We haven't talked to our team about our lead, what place we're in, our streak or any of that. We only talk about playing our best when we get to St. Louis [the site of the MVC tournament]. Usually, that's the only chance we have at the post season. This year is a little different in that regard."
He also talked about shot selection.
"We have no real inside presence, so we need to rely on the threes. People watch tapes of us and see quick shots and say, 'That's a bad shot,' because it's early in the shot clock, but Josh Young open from 19' 9" is probably the best shot we're going to get, even if we pass the ball 10 more times, so why not shoot it then?"
Of course, Young didn't get anywhere near 19' 9" on his three pointers tonight. He was always at least two full steps behind the line, but that doesn't change his point.
When ISU coach Tim Jankovich was asked what he told his team after the game, he said, "I told them I'm proud of them. They gave great effort. Sure, they made some mistakes, but they were 'trying' mistakes. How could I not be proud of them?"
He kind of rambled on a bit, but ended with, "too often we get focused on the wins and losses. I think if you going and give it your best effort, you should be happy with that as an athlete."
It's not the kind of thing you hear winning coaches say, I suppose, but I liked it. When I coach kids, that's always my message. Play hard, do the best you can, and let wins and losses take care of themselves. Sometimes, the other team is just better. That's what happened to ISU today.
I got to write all this while listening to some opera singer practice singing the fight song with the pep band. I'm not even sure he was singing it in English, but whatever he was singing, he sang it well.
Welcome to live, Super Tuesday coverage of the Drake-Illinois St primary from Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena in Normal, IL.
15th-ranked Drake is undefeated in Missouri Valley play at 11-0, while ISU is second at 7-3.
Drake has won 19 straight overall and is one of the nation's biggest surprises. They are seventh in the nation in three pointers made per game with 9.5. They are led in scoring by sophomore Josh Young at 16.1 ppg. The Bulldogs are also an excellent FT shooting team. Only one player in their nine-man rotation shoots below 71% (Brent Heemskerk, 47%)
ISU has lost three of five entering this game, but stgaring forward Anthony Slack missed two and a half of those games with a shoulder injury. He returned with a 12 rebound performance against Missouri St on Saturday.
The Redbirds leading scorer is Osiris Eldridge, a sophomore, with 15.2 ppg.
Drake won the first meeting on January 19th by a score of 79-73 in Des Moines. In spite of that, exit polling shows Illinois St as a 3.5 point favorite.
The rest of the blogging will take place in the box below. Feel free to join in the conversation as the evening goes on.
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- The play, by any other name, still felt so sweet.
A.J. Graves, Butler's leading scorer, broke free just enough to launch a running 25-footer from the left wing just ahead of the buzzer.
And when his shot bounced off glass and through the net, the No. 16 Bulldogs escaped with a 57-55 win over Southern Illinois on Friday night.
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- A.J. Graves, who's been quiet most of the game, drained a 25-foot jumper just ahead of the buzzer and Butler pulled out a 57-55 win over Southern Illinois.
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Mike Green has seemed to have lost his stroke from the line, missing two free throws with just over a minute and a half left. On Southern Illinois' next foray, Randal Falker fed Wesley Clemons for a wide-open three. Butler called timeout with 37 seconds left in the game, 14 on their shot clock.
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- After the referees reversed an on-ball call, giving possession to Southern Illinois, Josh Bone drained a three from the wing, and suddenly, SIU Arena has come back to life.
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Pete Campbell, from deep in the corner, knocked down a trey for Butler, but Randal Falker answered back with a jam for Southern Illinois. Mike Green has returned to the line to hit both free throws, and Butler now holds a three-point lead.
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Butler just put a flurry of shots on net, only to be turned away by the noted tandem of Falker and iron. It's 47-47 with 3:30 to play.
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- With Mike Green tying the game with a couple of more free throws, Southern Illinois got Falker and Mullins --four fouls each -- back into the game with 4:46 to play.
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- With Randal Falker already on the bench with his fourth foul, SIU's Mullins just got called for a block. Mike Green hit both of his free throws, and with two key Salukis on the bench, Butler is back within one.
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- A.J. Graves may not be scoring for Butler, but he's working hard. He just drove all around the Southern Illinois defense, setting up Campbell for a wide-open look at the top of the key. Unfortunately, Campbell's shot went klunk.
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Randal Falker is back. He got away with climbing over a Bulldogs' back for a rebound and got one of two free throws to fall. The next time down, he missed a short baby-hook. Southern Illinois' Shaw still can't hit from the outside, and with another timeout, it's Southern Illinois 45, Butler 42.
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Every foul call in Butler's favor is resulting in a rain of derision upon the referees. Mullins bumped Howard down low and picked up his third foul. Howard hit one of two, and Southern Illinois is still on top by a deuce.
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- A Butler timeout, about 10 seconds of play and a Southern Illinois foul, and we've got ourselves an official timeout. Got to love the fast-paced sport of basketball...
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Josh Bone just drained another trey, this one putting SIU up, 44-39, and prompting a Butler timeout with 11:17 to go in the second half.
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Carlton Fay wrestles down Matt Howard and is astonished to have picked up his fourth foul. He's headed back to the bench now, too.
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Green got through the Southern Ilinois defense to set up Avery Jukes, but he couldn't convert on the resulting free throws. The foul, however, sends Randal Falker back to SIU's bench with his three.
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Another "stirring" timeout contest has the home crowd at a loud murmur.Yawn.
Game still tied with 15:24 to play.
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- A.J. Graves found his way into the lane, only to miss an eight-foot fade. But the ball came right back to him, and he nailed a 10-footer.
Both teams are trading points in a 37-37 tie.
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- It's a rock fight in the early going of the second half. Southern Illinois' Randal Falker just hit the side of the backboard on a jumper and Butler's Matt Howard missed a layup at the end of a fast-break.
SIU's Mullins finally figured out the rim for an old-fashioned three-point play, and after a Butler miss, Bone knocked down a three. SIU is back in front, and the crowd is back in the game.
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- The Southern Illinois bench, a source of sorrow so far this season, is outscoring Butler's reserves, 8-6. Only Pete Campbell has come off the pine to score for the Bulldogs with two treys. SIU got six from former starter Tony Boyle and two from Carlton Faye.
Faye's line: Two points, three fouls and a rebound and two turnovers in four minutes. A so-so call by the refs on an offensive foul, however, has won him the pity of the home crowd.
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- While new SIU football coach Dale Lennon plays to the crowd at the half, the stat sheets are being passed around.
Mike Green, with 10 points, and Matt Howard, with eight, lead Butler in scoring, while top gun A.J. Graves is just 1-for-6 from the floor with five points. Butler leads, 31-29.
Bone paces SIU with 10, most coming with key starters Falker and Mullins on the pine. Falker did have nine points and three boards in his 10 minutes.
Things bode well for the Bulldogs, who have scored 40-plus points in the second half of their last three games. That would put them in the 70s, and they have won 14 straight when they score 75 points or more.
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Southern Illinois' heralded freshman Carlton Fay was nailed for two fouls on one possession, and the next time down the floor, was called for an offensive foul. The last one has the crowd howling at the refs.
Looks like it's going to be a short night for Fay.
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- At the last media timeout, Butler's leading scorer A.J. Graves has tallied just two points, and the Bulldogs are still only two points down. Mike Green has 10 at this point to pick up the slack.
CARBONDALE, Ill -- Mike Green tried to drive against Bone, but once he's gotten a lane to the hole, he's been cut off by Southern Illinois' Tony Boyle. Boyle caught Green and the ball in the same motion, which just resulted in a held-ball situation.
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Forget foul trouble. Southern Illinois' Josh Bone just drained two treys to tie the game. After a Butler miss, Wesley Clemons has added a deuce and the crowd is now rocking.
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Both forward Randall Falker and point guard Bryan Mullins have picked up their second personal fouls of the half, sending both to the bench. For a thin roster, that could mean trouble for Southern Illinois the rest of the half.
Meanwhile, the resulting free throws from Mike Green pushes Butler's edge to 21-15.
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Apparently, me and my computer are missing a hell of a game. My dang screen is taking up all my attention after losing my internet connection.
Meanwhile, back on the court, Butler leads Southern Illinois, 19-15, with a break in the action at 7:52 in the first half.
CARBONDALE, Ill -- Mike Green has just given Butler its first lead with a three-pointer out of the first media timeout. After trading hoops, the Bulldogs lead, 10-7.
CARBONDALE. Ill. -- Southern Illinois' Randall Falker has drawn two fouls on one possession as the Salukis look to get him involved early. Still, at four minutes into the game, Falker has two points with the score tied at five.
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- As is the tradition at SIU Arena, the crowd is on its feet and stomping, and will continue to stand until the opposing team scores its first points.
A near steal by Southern Illinois brings a groan and a renewal of the stomping. Butler ends its first posseission with a turnover. The seats are still unsat upon.
Josh Bone nails a 3-ball for SIU a little over a minute into the game.
A foul on SIU's Wesley Clemons sends Butler's Mike Green to the line. His first free throw puts the butts in the seats, but he misses the second.
CARBONDALE,Ill. -- If Butler can run out of Carbondale with a win, it will be only the fifth team to do so in 87 games.
The last? Indiana, just 27 days ago. Like Indiana, Butler is ranked in the top 20 in both polls.
The Salukis did lose two home games in 200506 season, to Louisiana Tech and Indiana State.
CARBONDALE, Ill.-- The crowd is still filing in as Miss Illinois gives a decent rendition of the National Anthem. Despite the fact that students are on Christmas break, the game sold out well before the gates opened. It should be the biggest crowd since Indiana rolled into town on Dec. 1.
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Southern Illinois is looking for a bench to lean on instead of sit on.
The Salukis leaned heavily its starting lineup while experimenting with substitution combos. Wesley Clemons responded to his first start Dec. 22 against Western Kentucky with a career-high 24 points. That allowed Saluki coach Chris Lowery more scoring punch, and to bring Tony Boyle off the bench.
Other reserves are still fighting to find minutes. Only Brandon Wood and Tyrone Green, a part-time starter, are getting double-figure minutes.
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Butler is making its first appearance at SIU Arena and faces the Salukis for only the third time ever.
The Bulldogs, ranked 16th by the AP poll and 17th by ESPN/Coaches, are looking to avenge a 68-64 loss last season in a BracketBuster contest at Hinkle Field House.
Butler is getting it done with balance, as four players have scored in double figures in their last three games. A.J Graves leads the way with 16.8 per game (Mike Green comes in at 14.7, Pete Campbell at 11.7 and Matt Howard at 11.5).
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- It's already been a busy day for Southern Illinois sports information director Tom Weber.
The Salukis named Dale Lennon as its new football coach in the afternoon. Lennon, formerly of the U of North Dakota, replaces Jerry Kill, who moved to Northern Illinois University earlier this month.
Lennon is being brought in to keep the Salukis among the national elite. Kill resurrected a stagnant program in his seven seasons, taking the Salukis to the FCS semifinals this season.
Lennon was 90-14 in nine years at UND, including five conference championships, seven playoff appearances and one Div. II championship.
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Southern Illinois coach Chris Lowery always knew Bryan Mullins could score.
Now, a lot of other people know it too.
The junior guard scored a career-high 24 points, including 11 of the Salukis' last 13, as SIU ended a three-game losing streak with a 71-56 win over previously unbeaten Saint Mary's on Tuesday.
"We've always had guards that do stuff like that when we needed it," said Lowery. "I've told him this past three weeks that this was his team."
Mullins stepped into the spotlight after Saint Mary's had massaged away most of had been a 19-point second-half lead. Up 53-34 with 13:17 remaining, the Salukis started missing shots from close range. Conversely, the Gaels started pushing the ball up court. Two free throws by Todd Golden with 5:51 left got Saint Mary's within 55-52.
"We did some things right to get us back in the game," said Saint Mary's coach Randy Bennett. "We just didn't do enough things to win the game.
"Give them credit. We knew they were going to be good. We didn't walk into this ball game thinking this was a bad team."
The Salukis had dropped contests to USC, Indiana and Charlotte and were struggling for an identity. Graduation left some big holes to fill in the scoring. Mullins filled one of them Tuesday.
"We opened up the floor more and I was able to hit a couple of shots," he said. "We came out with a lot of energy tonight."
Tyrone Green held off Saint Mary's until Mullins got untracked. His three free throws pushed SIU's lead back to 58-52. Omar Samhan's jumper got the Gaels back within four, but Mullins scored the next nine points of the game.
"With the work ethic he has, you know it's going to pay off sooner or later," Shaw said of Mullins.
Shaw's previous career best had been 16 points. Tuesday, he nearly had that in the final four minutes. And he added five assists to his line as well.
SIU's Randall Falker scored all eight of his points in the first half, but he had eight rebounds in the second and 12 for the game. Shaw finished with 13 points and nine boards as SIU out-rebounded the Gaels, 39-24.
"I think it's a credit to this team that we came out and played with the energy we did and the enthusiasm we did after losing three straight," Shaw said.
Saint Mary's (7-1) got 11 points from Patrick Mills, 10 from Diamon Simpson and eight from Samhan, some 15 below their combined average for the season.
The loss probably knocks the Gaels, ranked 24th in both the AP and USA Today/ESPN Coaches' poll, out of the Top 25.
"It's December," said Bennett. "If we're a good team, we'll get back in there."
Yes, it's only December, but a team looking for answers like SIU, there was no time like the present.
"I told them it's winning time," Lowery said of his charges. "We're not going backwards."
Mullins seemed to listen most of all.
"He was special," Lowery said. "He wanted to win."
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- The Salukis' Bryan Mullins took over down the stretch, scoring seven straight points after Saint Mary's cut an 18-point lead to four, and Southern Illinois held on to break a three-game losing streak, 71-56.
The loss was the first of the year for the Gaels, while Southern Illinois improved to 4-3.
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- A big cushion for Southern Illinois is wafer-thin.
Saint Mary's poured on six straight free throws, four from Patrick Mills and two from Todd Golden, and cut SIU's 18-point lead down to just three with just under six minutes to go.
The Salukis are attacking the paint, but missing from close range. A free throw and a Saint Mary's turnover has stemmed the tide. The Gaels' Diamon Simpson fouled out with 4:48 to go, and SIU's Tyrone Green hit the subsequent throws to put SIU back up, 58-52.
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- With Saint Mary's protecting the post, Southern Illinois found room on the perimeter.
The Salukis got back-to-back three-pointers from Bryan Mullins and Matt Shaw, and one of three free throws from Shaw when he was fouled on a trey to open a 50-32 lead just six minutes into the second half.
But SIU started settling for the jumpers and Saint Mary's took rebounds up court for transition opportunities. Diamon Simpson's two free throws when fouled on a fast-break got the Gaels back within 14 at 53-39 with 12 minutes to play.
An SIU turnvoer and a Patrick Mills three-pointer pulled Saint Mary's withing 11 and swung the momentum, with the Salukis earlier in the half, back to the Gaels.
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Call off the ABP on Randall Fallker.
Falker, held scoreless in Southern Illinois' weekend loss to UNC-Charlotte, resurfaced on the Salukis' home court Tuesday against the Gaels.
Falker, the Missouri Valley Conference Preseason Player of the Year, finished the first half with eight points, four rebounds and a blocked shot in 14 minutes of play as SIU posted a 36-24 halftime lead. Along the way, Falker drew three fouls on Saint Mary's big man, Omar Samhan, who played just eight minutes in the first half.
Also in foul trouble for Saint Mary's was starting guard Patrick Mills, the Gaels' leading scorer. He picked up his third foul late in the half and had just four points at the break.
Both teams worked the ball into the paint instead of settling for jumpers, as Saint Mary's shot 47.4 percent for the half but was plagued by 12 turnovers. SIU shot 46.4 percent with nine turnovers.
Matt Shaw and Joshua Bone added seven points each for SIU. Mills and Samhan led the Gaels in scoring with four each.
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Neither Saint Mary's or Southern Illinois can get much separation on scoreboard or on the court. Tight defense at both ends are forcing extended possessions.
The Salukis' Tyrone Green took a steal coast-to-coast for a jam that brought the crowd to life and prompted a Gael timeout. Another Saint Mary's turnover after play resumed resulted in a Joshua Bone teardrop down the lane to give SIU its biggest lead of the first nine minutes at 18-12.
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Saint Mary's and Southern Illinois are firing shots from close range early in the contest, with the Salukis hanging onto a 9-8 lead.
Both teams are getting the ball into the paint when they're getting shots. Less than five minutes into the game, Saint Mary's has three turnovers and SIU has a pair.
Gael center Omar Samhan was just saddled with two fouls and is headed for the bench.
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Earlier in the day, some 1,000 students were scattered about SIU Arena, taking a final exam.
Later Tuesday night, the Salukis of Southern Illinois were hoping to have just one answer -- how to end the first three-game losing streak in Chris Lowery's three-plus years as head coach.
Not that the Salukis have been terrible of the past three games, losing to USC and UNC-Charlotte on the road and at home to Indiana.
Meanwhile, the Gaels of Saint Mary's look to keep their record spotless. This is the Gaels' first road game of the season, although they have posted a win on a neutral court. The other six have come at home.
For SIU, it seems a different ingredient has been missing in each of the three losses. Against USC, the defense didn't show up. Against Indiana, the offense couldn't find the hole.
And against Charlotte, the Salukis' all-everything, Randall Falker, was held scoreless for the first time since his freshman season.
The teams have met five previous times, with SIU holding a 4-1 edge. The Salukis won, 66-61, at Moraga, Calif., last year.
ROCK HILL, S.C. -- Missouri State basketball coach Barry Hinson gave himself more than enough reason to light up his team during future halftimes.
After watching Winthrop guard Michael Jenkins thrash the Bears' defense for 18 first-half points, Hinson let it rip.
"I'm not even Catholic and I'm gonna have to go to confession for some of the things I said," Hinson said.
ROCK HILL, S.C. -- Quite a turnaround -- not to mention confidence booster -- for Missouri State.
The Bears erased a double-digit lead in the final minutes of their game at Winthrop before eventually going on to win, 73-69. MSU trailed by 16 at half, and a combination of turning points in the second period led to the victory.
More to come.
ROCK HILL, S.C. -- Missouri State forward Dex Manswell's three-pointer with 5:25 left in the game just made this game a bit more interesting.
Following a Winthrop missed shot (and a missed opportunity for an offensive rebound), Manswell took an open pass on the wing and drilled the three.
Following a Spencer Laurie three-pointer, Missouri State leads, 61-60.
ROCK HILL, S.C. -- Courtesy of MSU center Drew Richards' layup and an accompanying free throw, the Bears are down 60-51 with 7:31 left in the game at Winthrop Coliseum.
Missouri State, trailing by 20 points during the first half, have relied on Richards and Deven Mitchell's activity inside while getting solid ball-handing from guards Spencer and Shane Laurie and Justin Fuehrmeyer.
ROCK HILL, S.C. -- Missouri State is doing what it can to get back into the game.
Down 16 points at half, the Bears have started the second period on a 12-3 run to slim the Eagles' advantage to 48-40 after MSU guard Shane Laurie's three-pointer with just under 16 minutes to play.
ROCK HILL, S.C. -- If Winthrop was picked to finish second in the Big South this season, opposing conference teams may want to watch out for High Point.
Winthrop is looking like an awfully solid second-place team right now, taking it to Missouri State 45-29 at the Winthrop Coliseum in a rematch of last year's ESPN Bracket Buster matchup.
So far, Eagle guard Michael Jenkins is leading the charge with 18 points on 5-of-6 shooting (2-of-2 from 3-point range). He also has five rebounds and two assists. Teammate Taj McCollough has added 11 points and three rebounds, and senior Antwon Harris has eight points.
For the Bears, they've had little outside of forward Deven Mitchell. The 6-foot-5 senior has 10 points, four of which came from the free-throw line. Junior guard Shane Laurie has six points and forward Chris Cooks has five.
Missouri State's going to need much more than that if it's going to get back into the game.
ROCK HILL, S.C. -- Missouri State center Drew Richards probably isn't going to be teaching free-throw classes any time soon.
Richards managed to do something at least a couple reporters on press row can't ever remember seeing -- successfully banking consecutive free throws.
It's been one of the few bright spots for the Bears, who trail Winthrop, 43-24, with 2:01 left in the first half.
ROCK HILL, S.C. -- Randy Peele doesn't need to explain his lime green tie.
Not yet anyway.
In a sea of garnet and gold (even if most of the garnet is empty seats at Winthrop Coliseum), the first-year Eagle coach's neckwear stands out to anyone with any sort of peripheral vision. Maybe it's just his lucky charm.
Peele and his Winthrop team are up 29-13 on Missouri State with 7:28 left in the first half.
ROCK HILL, S.C. -- In a game that has started somewhat sloppy for both Missouri State and Winthrop, Eagles senior Michael Jenkins is giving fans some good basketball to watch.
Jenkins, a 6-foot-3 guard, has scored nine points through the first eight minutes, pushing Winthrop out to a 16-5 lead. Missouri State has gotten four of its points from senior forward Deven Mitchell. The Bears have also not helped themselves by hitting just 1-of-6 shots attempts and adding five early turnovers.
ROCK HILL, S.C. -- Maybe it's the fact that the majority of the Winthrop student population hasn't returned to campus after Thanksgiving break.
Maybe they simply forgot how hyped this matchup was last February.
For whatever reason, today's Winthrop-Missouri State game is going to be played in what is about a 50-percent full Winthrop Colliseum.
ROCK HILL, S.C. -- While Winthrop and Missouri State have played just four games each, both teams come into today's game with a small web of opponents.
The Bears defeated UNC-Greensboro (Winthrop coach Randy Peele's old squad, by the way). UNC-Greensboro defeated Georgia Tech before Winthrop then defeated the Yellow Jackets.
About one hour until tip-off.
ROCK HILL, S.C. -- The rematch of last year's ESPN Bracket Buster game between Missouri State and Winthrop begins in about 90 minutes.
That game helped propel the Eagles up the national mid-major food chain, as well as add an increased confidence that certainly helped toward a stretch run resulting in an "upset" of Notre Dame in the NCAA tournament.
According to Winthrop's sports information department, only two injuries to note. All-Big South guard Chris Gaynor took it easy in practice upon the team's return from the Paradise Jam in the Virgin Islands last week. Gaynor was suffering from a sore thumb but isn't expected to show any effects today. The same can not be said for reserve center Andy Buechert, who in dealing with an Achilles injury.
CHICAGO -- Kent State shot 48 percent for the game to Illinois State's 40 percent, and that was pretty much the story. Mike Scott led the Flashes with 18 on 5-for-8 shooting from the floor and 7-for-9 from the line. Osiris Eldridge led ISU with 11 points but only shot 4-for-11. Anthony Slack had 10 points and nine boards but also six turnovers. Levi Dyer, the Redbird three-point specialist, was 0-for-4 from long range and the team was 7-for-24.
We're about 15 minutes from the tip in the championship game.
They're playing that Superman song over the PA. I can never think of that song without also thinking of the video of Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan dancing to it. You can probably find that on you tube if you want a laugh.
CHICAGO -- Kent State finished off Illinois State, 65-59. Without seeing a stat sheet, I'll guess that ISU shot worse and took care of the ball worse. The Redbirds had some moments, but the Flashes were more consistent and that's why they come away with the victory. I'll try to get some stats.
Indiana is taking the floor to warm up, wearing their usual candy striper pants. All they need is those little, paper nurses hats and their costumes would be complete.
Xavier has also entered the arena and started playing a game of hot potato.
Indiana was all Eric Gordon last night, and that's been the case all year. I'm not sure if Xavier has a guy who can check him all night, but I think it behooves the Hoosiers to get DJ White more involved. He was a cipher last night because his teammates ignored him, preferring to play one-on-one ball.
Xavier played well when it played hard last night, but that was only in spurts. The Musketeers will need a full 40-minute effort to stay with IU.
All of a sudden, a Wisconsin football game has broken out. The PA is now exhorting us to jump around. Apparently this crowd does not follow instructions well. We probably won't even have a decent wave.
CHICAGO -- Kent State used a 10-2 run to extend its lead back up to eight. The Flashes lead, 59-51, at the last TV timeout. ISU missed five straight shots during the KSU run, but did manage a couple of free throws.
The Flashes will have to finish without Rashad Woods, who fouled out with 10 points off the bench.
CHICAGO -- Some hot shooting, especially from the three-point line, has ISU right back in the game. The Redbirds had tied it at 47, but a couple of free throws by Chris Singletary put the Flashes back up 49-47 with about eight minutes left.
The crowd for the next game is starting to file in and they're getting into it a little.
CHICAGO -- The Redbirds have picked up their defensive intensity and are creeping back in the game. Anthony Slack finished off a break with a monster slam to pull Illinois State within 38-34 at the first timeout.
At the half, ISU had nine turnovers to Kent State's seven. The most telling stat was shooting percentage, though, with Ken State at 52 percent and ISU only 42 percent.
Chris Singletary and Rashad Woods are having a good game off the bench for KSU with seven each.
CHICAGO -- Kent State finally got some shooting going and takes a nine point lead into the break, 33-24. The good news for ISU is that Osiris Eldridge finally found his shot in the final minutes of the half. He hit a jumper in the lane and then followed that with a three, so he has five at the half.
I'll have other halftime stats. Meanwhile, we have the sort-of synchronized floor cleaning crew entertaining us at the half.
CHICAGO -- Kent State is on a 7-0 run and now leads, 25-18. All of that came while Eldridge was on the bench for ISU. The Redbirds missed a couple of threes, but Mike Scott hit a long one for KSU and Rashad Woods hit a pretty, fade-away jumper in the lane.
CHICAGO -- This has been a fast paced game, but a little too fast. Both teams have been pretty sloppy with the ball, although exact turnover counts aren't available, by my count, it's about eight each. Kent State still leads, 16-15, as the teams have traded baskets since Illinois State went up, 7-6. We're already at the eight-minute timeout, and Osiris Eldridge is still looking for his first hoop.
I'm a radio sandwich. The Xavier radio crew will be sitting to my right tonight.
CHICAGO -- Last night, Illinois State had its way inside with Indiana. Today, Kent State is taking it inside on them. Haminn Quaintance (the KSU radio guy next to me just calls him "Q" missed a dunk, but has two layups and two steals already and will be going to the line after the timeout.
KSU leads, 6-4, at the first break.
During timeouts, they blast music so loud that I can't hear the guy next to me. He leaned over and said that they are trying to make up for a lack of attendance by playing the music so loud. It doesn't work.
Al Fisher, who had a good game last night for the Flashes off the bench, started tonight.
Also, Jordan Mincy of Kent State is playing with his wrist heavily wrapped because of a sprain suffered against Longwood.
CHICAGO - The consolation game of the Chicago Challenge tips off in about half an hour from the frozen tundra of the Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates, Ill. Kent State, a 80-62 loser to Xavier last night, takes on Illinois State, which fell to Indiana, 70-57.
Both teams played better than those final scores indicated. Kent State hung tough until they had to play some desperation defense and Xavier ran away at the end.
Illinois State simply ran out of gas against the bigger, stronger Hoosiers with about five minutes left. I think ISU was the second best team here last night.
Each team has a guy capable of putting up big numbers on the scoreboard. Kent State's scoring leader is Mike Scott, who had a career high 20 last night, although he missed a free throw, breaking a streak of 21 consecutive makes.
ISU will be looking for Osiris Eldridge to bounce back off a tough night. He only shot 3-11 and finished with 8 points. Last night, Eric Gordon was guarding him, so tonight has to be easier. The Redbirds only shot 37% last night, but Indiana can do that to you.
Like last night, I'm sitting with the poor KSU radio guy, who is still trying to get his brand new, out-of-the-box, equipment to work. Like last night, it isn't, so it looks like another night of calling the game on the phone.
Unlike yesterday, this game will tip on time because the previous game between UNCW and Coppin St was a blowout (UNCW 78-57). I'm not sure of the final attendance for that one, but I believe everyone had their own security guard. In the first game here this morning, SEMO beat Longwood 82-78.
Looks like we might have another late arriving crowd. There are about 50 or so ISU fans here. Kent St only had a handful of supporters yesterday, although they were loud. No official attendance numbers were given yesterday, but our crack research staff is trying to get that info.
CHICAGO -- Indiana beat Illinois State, 70-57, and will move on to play Xavier tomorrow night in the championship game of the Chicago Challenge.
Eric Gordon was terrific, scoring 31 points, although his shooting, as well as his shot selection, tailed off in the second half. The only other Hoosier in double figures was Jordan Crawford with 13.
DJ White never really got into the flow of this game and looked a bit lost out there at times. It seems like he's still trying to figure out how to play with his new superstar teammate.
Illinois St was led by Levi Dyer's 18 points and Anthony Slack's 13. Gordon held Osiris Eldridge to seven on 3-of-11 shooting as he was never really a factor. If I can get some quotes or other telling stats, I will, but that kind of thing is hard to come by here.
I'll be back tomorrow night with the consolation and championship games. And a sweater.
CHICAGO -- It looks like the Redbirds have finally run out of gas trying to keep up with Indiana. They have missed several shots in a row from the floor and are getting beat to most of the loose balls now. Indiana has stretched the lead to 11 with 2:33 to play.
CHICAGO -- If Illinois State could just hit a free throw, they would be in this game. The Redbirds are only 9-for-20 from the line, which doesn't count the missed opportunities from missing the front end of a one-and-one.
Gordon just hit a turnaround jumper from about 18 feet to put IU back up nine.
CHICAGO -- Levi Dyer is all set to star in those Southwest Airlines commericals after the last sequence. First, he airballed a wide open three-pointer that would have cut the lead to one. He's a pretty decent three-point shooter otherwise. Then, on the next possession, Boo Richardson stole the ball and fed the 6-foot-11 Dyer as he went down the lane before missing the dunk.
In spite of that, ISU still trails by only four.
CHICAGO -- After a sloppy first seven minutes of the second half, which saw the teams trading mistakes as often as points, Eric Gordon woke everybody up with a drive and authoritative dunk to put the Hoosiers back up 11.
Illinois St is trying to run a motion offense, but Indiana's athleticism is making it tough for them to find good shots. Indiana isn't really running much of an offense at all. They dribble (mostly) and pass the ball around the perimeter, before someone finally makes a one-on-one move and gets a shot. Eventually, the Hoosiers will face a team that will require them to be more disciplined, but Illinois St is probably not that team.
IU leads 50-42 at the 12 minute timeout.
CHICAGO -- Eric Gordon is definitely the star of this game, but he has about as quiet a 20 points as someone can score in one half. He hasn't been so much spectacular as he has been methodical. His most electrifying play of the half was a pass to DJ White after he drove the lane.
Gordon is 8-for-11 from the floor, including 2-for-2 from three-point range and the Hoosiers lead, 38-28, at the half.
Levi Dyer and Anthony Slack have eight points each to lead Illinois State.
I need to find some coffee.
CHICAGO -- Brandon Holtz, Levi Dyer, and Osiris Eldridge all scored in an Illinois St 8-0 run to cut the Indiana lead to five at the last timeout of the first half. Gordon and Armon Basset both forced bad shots at the IU end to help give ISU some momentum.
ISU fans are taunting Gordon with cheers and chants about him reneging on a commitment to Illinois, but so far, none of them have been particularly clever.
CHICAGO -- Eric Gordon is starting to take over. It's not spectacular, but he's beating the Redbirds down the floor and either scoring or getting fouled. He's on a personal nine-point run and has staked the Hoosiers to a 30-17 lead with six minutes left.
Gordon is also starring on the defensive end. He's guarding Osiris Eldridge, and he's been shut out so far.
CHICAGO -- No sooner did I mention that DJ White had not been a factor, then Indiana came out of the timeout and focused on pounding it inside. Three straight possessions, the Hoosiers got it into White in the post, and that resulted in a turnover, a bucket and an assist. Indiana now leads, 21-16, at the eight-minute timeout.
CHICAGO -- Illinois State is still hanging around at the second timeout. Indiana leads, 15-11, behind Eric Gordon's six points. DJ White has yet to be a factor in the game.
Levi Dyer has five off the bench for the Redbirds.
The guy next to me committed a media foul by knocking the draping off our table trying to plug in his computer. That left us feeling exposed. I was very concerned that people watching on TV might see that my shoes were untied. Fortunately, maintenance fixed it at the timeout. I think the net is still a problem, though.
CHICAGO -- Indiana started DeAndre Thomas tonight, a JUCO transfer from Chicago. They list him at 6-foot-8, 295 pounds, but there's no chance he was less than 320. This kid redefines "filling the lane." The game notes mention that he lost 59 pounds in the offesason.
He has two points and a steal as Indiana leads, 8-2, at the first timeout.
I'm also pleased to report that Indiana brought their cheerleaders.
We now return you to round-the-clock coverage of Eric Gordon (4 points).
CHICAGO -- Indiana takes on Illinois State in the nightcap at the Sears Centre, where the have apparently left the doors open, because it's cold and drafty.
The Hoosiers feature freshman phenom Eric Gordon, who is averaging 28 points per game to start the season, but I'm a big fan of C DJ White (well, as much of a fan of an IU player as a Purdue grad can be). White is short for a center, but at 250 pounds, he's a load to defend in the paint.
Illinois State is my sleeper pick in the Valley. They have a new coach in Tim Jankovich and most of last year's team back. They are led by last year's MVC Freshman of the Tear, Osiris Eldridge.
IU should win easily, but you never know.
