CARBONDALE, Ill. (Interstat) — In a Missouri Valley Conference clash defined by grit over grace, the Illinois-Chicago Flames erased a double-digit halftime deficit to edge the Southern Illinois Salukis 68-66 on Saturday night at SIU Arena.

The victory, sealed in the final seconds by a determined defensive stand, pushed Illinois-Chicago to 13-10 overall and marked its fifth consecutive win. Southern Illinois, which led by as many as 11 in the first half, fell to 9-13.

The game turned on a stark contrast in styles. Southern Illinois, fueled by the sharp shooting of guard Damien Mayo, built its early advantage from the perimeter. Mayo finished with a game-high 20 points, hitting four of his team’s six three-pointers in the first half as the Salukis took a 36-25 lead into the break. The Flames, meanwhile, started ice-cold, missing 17 of their first 20 attempts from beyond the arc.

The second half became a physical, possession-by-possession grind. Illinois-Chicago abandoned its misfiring long-range attack and pounded the ball inside, leveraging a massive 15-4 advantage in offensive rebounds to create second-chance opportunities. The Flames scored 38 points in the paint, with Elijah Crawford leading the charge. The guard from Augusta, Georgia, scored 19 of his 23 points after halftime, relentlessly attacking the rim.

Our offensive rebounds kept us alive, said Illinois-Chicago coach Luke Yaklich. When the shots aren’t falling, you have to find other ways to score. Our guys showed tremendous toughness to keep fighting on the glass.

Southern Illinois’s rim protection, led by Rolyns Aligbe’s three blocks, was formidable, but the Flames’ sheer volume of extra chances eventually wore the Salukis down. A critical sequence with under five minutes to play encapsulated the struggle. Trailing 64-61, Illinois-Chicago got a driving layup from Crawford, then forced a turnover. On the ensuing possession, Ahmad Henderson of Chicago sank a three-pointer from the wing to give the Flames their first lead since the opening minutes at 66-64 with 2:43 remaining.

The Salukis’ Jalen Haynes answered with a layup to tie it, but the team then went scoreless over the final 2:59. Missed opportunities and a key turnover doomed Southern Illinois. With 36 seconds left and the score still knotted at 66, Salukis forward Prince Aligbe was stripped of the ball near the elbow by Crawford. Southern Illinois fouled immediately, sending Crawford to the line with 28 seconds on the clock. He calmly sank both free throws for the final margin.

Southern Illinois had two final chances to tie or win. Drew Steffe’s contested three-point attempt with 21 seconds left was off the mark. After a missed free throw by UIC’s Mekhi Lowery with four seconds left gave the Salukis a final possession, a desperation jumper by Quel’Ron House as time expired was blocked by Sam Silverstein to preserve the Flames’ comeback.

Beyond Crawford’s scoring outburst, Henderson provided a crucial spark off the bench with 11 points. For Southern Illinois, Aligbe complemented Mayo with 12 points and nine rebounds, while the Salukis’ defense tallied 10 steals and nine blocks. However, Southern Illinois was ultimately undone by its inability to secure defensive rebounds and 10 turnovers, which Illinois-Chicago converted into 10 points.

The game was a statistical oddity. Southern Illinois shot a higher percentage both from the field (44% to 40%) and from three-point range (46.2% to 15%) and committed fewer turnovers. Yet, Illinois-Chicago’s 21-of-26 performance from the free throw line and its overwhelming work on the offensive glass, generating 22 second-chance points to Southern Illinois’s six, proved decisive.

The win extends Illinois-Chicago’s winning streak and completes a regular-season sweep of the Salukis, having also won 70-57 in Chicago on Jan. 7. Southern Illinois, which had won two of its last three, continues to search for consistency in conference play.

Illinois-Chicago travels to face Murray State on Tuesday. Southern Illinois visits Illinois State on the same night.