CARBONDALE, Ill. (Interstat) — Southern Illinois dominated Missouri-Kansas City 101-78 in a men’s NCAA Division I basketball game Friday at SIU Arena. The Salukis improved to 2-0 behind a balanced attack and a strong inside presence, outscoring the Kangaroos 64-38 in the paint.

Karmello Branch led UMKC (1-1) with 18 points. Davion Sykes, Jayson Petty and Rolyns Aligbe each scored 14 points for Southern Illinois in front of a crowd of 3,704. The Salukis capitalized on transition, scoring 24 fastbreak points to just two for the Kangaroos.