Valparaiso 70, at Southern Illinois 75

CARBONDALE, Ill. (Interstat) — In a Missouri Valley Conference opener defined by grit over grace, the Southern Illinois Salukis held off a furious second-half rally from the Valparaiso Beacons for a 75-70 victory on Thursday afternoon at SIU Arena. A New Year’s Day crowd of 5,758 saw the Salukis, who led by as many as 14 points in the first half, withstand a relentless individual effort from Valparaiso’s Owen Dease and a game that came down to the final possessions. The win improved Southern Illinois to 7-8 overall and 1-0 in the Valley, while Valparaiso fell to 6-8 and 0-1.… Read more...