Southern Illinois 54, at Illinois State 50

NORMAL, Ill. (Interstat) — In a Missouri Valley Conference men’s basketball game defined by defensive grit and offensive struggle, Southern Illinois edged Illinois State 54-50 on Tuesday night at Redbird Arena, overcoming a significant pregame projection that heavily favored the home team. The Salukis, who entered the contest with a 10-13 record and were given just a 15 percent chance to win by statistical models, snapped a two-game skid and avenged a 75-68 home loss to the Redbirds from December. Illinois State, which had been installed as a 7.5-point favorite, fell to 15-8 overall. The game was a stark departure… Read more...