EVANSVILLE, Ind. (Interstat) — Damien Mayo scored 23 points and Southern Illinois used a dominant first half to cruise past Evansville 81-67 in a Missouri Valley Conference men’s basketball game Sunday at Ford Center.

The Salukis (16-15, 9-9 MVC) never trailed, building a double-digit lead before the midway point of the first half and holding the Purple Aces (7-24, 4-14) at arm’s length the rest of the way. Southern Illinois led by as many as 18 in the opening period and took a 38-27 advantage into halftime.

The most important stretch of the game came early, as Southern Illinois established control with a 15-2 run over a five-minute span in the first half. After Evansville’s AJ Casey opened the scoring with a 3-pointer, the Salukis locked down defensively, forcing the Aces into a series of missed shots and turnovers. Southern Illinois capitalized with efficient offense, getting a layup from Prince Aligbe, a 3-pointer from Mayo, and another Mayo triple assisted by Quel’Ron House to surge ahead 11-3. The run was capped by a Drew Steffe 3-pointer that extended the lead to 18-5 with 11:14 remaining in the half, effectively setting the tone for the remainder of the contest. Evansville never got closer than nine points the rest of the game.

Mayo, a guard from St. Louis, Missouri, was efficient in his 31 minutes, shooting 7 of 14 from the field and a perfect 6 of 6 from the free-throw line. Steffe, from Frisco, Texas, added 16 points and three assists, while Aligbe of Minneapolis contributed 14 points and a game-high four offensive rebounds. House, from Louisville, Kentucky, orchestrated the offense with a game-best six assists to go with 10 points.

Evansville, coming off a one-point home win over Valparaiso, was led by 16 points apiece from Trent Hundley of Mount Orab, Ohio, and Joshua Hughes of Brisbane, Australia. AJ Casey of Chicago also scored 16 points and blocked two shots. Bryce Quinet of Scottsdale, Arizona, dished out seven assists for the Aces.

Southern Illinois won despite a season-low five team assists, relying instead on individual creation and a significant advantage in second-chance opportunities. The Salukis outrebounded Evansville 11-4 on the offensive glass, leading to a 15-4 edge in second-chance points. The Salukis also committed only six turnovers while forcing eight.

Offensively, Southern Illinois shot 46.9% from the field and 40.9% from 3-point range, while converting 12 of 13 free throws. Evansville shot 42.6% overall but just 32% from beyond the arc. The Salukis’ offensive rating of 124.3 on 65 possessions underscored their efficient scoring night.

The victory gave Southern Illinois a regular-season sweep of Evansville, having won the previous meeting 86-60 on Feb. 12 in Carbondale. It also moved the Salukis back above .500 overall heading into the conference tournament. Evansville, which has lost 10 of its last 12 games, will finish the season at the bottom of the MVC standings.

An announced crowd of 3,484 at Ford Center saw the Purple Aces struggle to generate consistent offense outside of Hughes, Hundley and Casey. The trio combined for 48 of the team’s 67 points, but Evansville managed only two assists as a team, highlighting their offensive stagnation.

Southern Illinois concludes its regular season with momentum, having won three of its last four games. Evansville will look to regroup before the conference tournament begins next week.