Salukis head to Vegas for tilt with Rebels

UNLV will be SIU's first real test of season

By Jason Maholy

Southern Illinois will get its sternest test thus far this season when it hits the road to for the first time to take on UNLV Saturday night in Sin City.

The battle between the Salukis and Runnin’ Rebels is part of the inaugural Missouri Valley-Mountain West Challenge Series, which pits teams from each conference against each other for the next four years.

SIU (2-0) is off to a strong start averaging 87.5 points per game and has outscored its first two opponents by a combined 43 points. The Salukis scored 91 points – the most in coach Chris Lowery’s six years at the helm -- in their season-opener against Tennessee-Martin, then followed that with an 84-point outburst against Division II Indianapolis.

Facing a team with legitimate NCAA Tourney hopes in a hostile environment in the first road game of the season, however, will be a much more challenging endeavor. The Salukis hope this trip ends better than their last journey to the Silver State, when Nevada thumped them 62-48 last Dec. 14.

The Runnin’ Rebels (2-0) come into the game fresh off an 88-75 comeback victory over Nevada in which they scored 55 second-half points and overcame a 12-point deficit. Guard Oscar Bellfield led the Rebels with 22 points and freshman guard Justin Hawkins had 16.

UNLV comes into the contest with three players averaging double-figures in scoring including junior guard and leading scorer Tre’Von Willis (12.5) and Hawkins (12). The balanced UNLV squad has 10 players averaging at least six points a game. Forwards Chace Stanback, a starter, and Darris Santee, a senior reserve, share the team-lead in rebounding at 6.5 per game.

Unlike teams of Saluki past, this one can match the offensive firepower of a squad like Lon Kruger’s Rebels. Lowery is still preaching tenacious pressure defense as the key to success, but he has admittedly loosened the leash on his Dawgs because he recognizes their considerable offensive talents. With players including Kevin Dillard, Tony Freeman, Justin Bocot and Carlton Fay capable of pouring in 20 points on any given night, and capable scorers like Anthony Booker, Nick Evans and Jack Crowder, Lowery has more weapons at his disposal than ever before. With such a glut of scoring options it should be a rare night this offense has trouble scoring points or that at least one guy doesn’t have the hot hand.

Dillard, Freeman and Bocot are capable of creating their own shots, so the cumbersome, ball-control motion offense employed in the past has given way to more freestyle game predicated on attacking the basket and breaking down defenses. Dillard is the team’s primary ball-handler and most dangerous scorer, and if opponents key on stopping him he will gladly get the ball to his teammates, as evidenced by his 10 assists against Indy.

While Lowery has been pleased with his team’s offense -- aside from the 87.5 point per game they’re shooting 52 percent from both the field and 3-point range, while sharing the ball almost to a fault at times -- he won’t settle for winning shootouts and has expressed his desire for this team to hold opponents in the “low 50s.” It remains to be seen whether that is possible given this team’s more up-tempo game, which means more possessions for the opposition, but there is no question they haven’t played the type of defense needed to beat teams like UNLV or win in the MVC. That’s understandable, as offense is typically further along than defense at this point in the season, and if they can tie up a few loose ends on ‘D’ they should be in position to win this game at the end.

One of the keys to the Salukis coming home happy will be Freeman, the team’s lone senior and a former starter at the University of Iowa. Freeman has kept a low profile in the first two games by simply executing the team’s game plan against two inferior opponents, but he is this team’s emotional leader and understands the intensity, focus and execution necessary to defeat a tough opponent on the road. Look for him to step up his game at both ends of the floor against UNLV, particularly if any of the youngsters falter early.

FYI
-Southern is 1-2 all-time against UNLV. The Rebels won the last meeting 91-68 on Dec. 23, 1983.
-The Salukis are 13-4 all-time against Mountain West teams, with the last game a 57-53 victory over Wyoming on Dec. 3, 2005.
-SIU’s bench has scored 71 of the team’s 175 points (40.5 percent). Carlton Fay is the leading scorer off the bench with 29 points (14.5 per game).
-The 2008-09 Dawgs scored as many as 80 points just once, hitting that number against Massachusetts last Nov. 12 in the second game of the season.