CARBONDALE, Ill. (Interstat) — Elijah Crawford scored 23 points to lead Illinois-Chicago to a 68-66 victory over Southern Illinois in a Missouri Valley Conference men’s basketball game Saturday at SIU Arena.

The Flames (13-10) overcame a 36-25 halftime deficit by outscoring the Salukis 43-30 in the second half. Southern Illinois (9-13) was led by Damien Mayo’s 20 points. The game featured 13 lead changes and neither team led by more than six points. Illinois-Chicago secured the win despite shooting just 3 for 20 from three-point range, relying on a 21-for-26 performance from the free-throw line and a dominant 15-4 advantage in offensive rebounds. Southern Illinois blocked nine shots but committed a critical turnover in the final minute. Attendance was 3,933.