CARBONDALE, Ill. (Interstat) — The Belmont Bruins built a large early lead and withstood a fierce second-half rally to defeat the Southern Illinois Salukis 73-68 in a Missouri Valley Conference men’s basketball game Saturday at SIU Arena.

Belmont led 32-24 at halftime and expanded its advantage before Southern Illinois surged after intermission. The Salukis’ 44-point second-half effort fell short against the Bruins, who improved to 17-3 overall. Southern Illinois dropped to 8-11.

A crowd of 3,944 watched as Belmont avenged a one-point home loss to the Salukis from Jan. 4. The Bruins’ efficient offense proved decisive in securing the conference road victory.