By Tom Weber, SIUSalukis.com.
CARBONDALE, Ill. — In a heart-pounding overtime win, Sean O’Brien broke a tie when he tipped-in a missed shot by Mike Rodriguez with 0.8 seconds remaining, and Southern Illinois held on to beat Murray State, 89-85, on Tuesday night.
The Salukis (4-3) never trailed during the final 15 minutes of regulation or during the overtime period, but there were plenty of times when it seemed the momentum and lead was ready to swing in favor the Racers (3-4). It was in those key moments that SIU’s three seniors — O’Brien, Rodriguez and Leo Vincent — each stepped up and made critical plays.
For instance, Southern was clinging to a 67-66 lead late in regulation when Rodriguez stepped back and hit a deep 3-pointer to put his team up, 70-66. It was a gutsy play in a game where the Salukis were ice cold from outside the arc (6-of-24).
That bucket only momentarily stemmed the tide. Murray State’s Bryce Jones proceeded to bury two 3-pointers in the final eight seconds of regulation to send it to OT — the last one coming from the right corner with 0.3 seconds on the clock.
SIU regrouped in overtime. Vincent, who was only 1-of-6 from downtown during the first 40 minutes, stroked a 3-pointer right out of the gate in overtime. On the next possession, Rodriguez stole the ball from Damarcus Croaker, which led to an O’Brien layup and an 82-77 advantage.
The Racers weren’t done. Jonathan Stark scored seven of his game-high 29 points in the extra stanza, and his free throws tied it, 85-85, with 1:06 to go. After Armon Fletcher had his shot blocked by MSU’s Gee McGhee, Murray State had a chance to take the lead in the waning seconds.
With about a 10-second differential between the game and shot clock, Stark attacked the right side of the lane and launched a high-arching shot off the glass that didn’t fall.
“I like what we got, Jonathan made a great move and got to the basket, he just didn’t finish the play,” said Murray State coach Matt McMahon.
Fletcher rebounded Stark’s miss and forwarded the ball to Rodriguez. As the final seconds ticked away, Rodriguez made his move to the right baseline. His shot was off, but O’Brien gently tipped in the follow.
“I had to wait for a second to make sure (the ball) cleared the cylinder,” said O’Brien, who finished with 15 points and nine rebounds.
SIU senior Mike Rodriguez driving the lane for two (photo provided)The seniors had carried the day.
Rodriguez had 21 points and five assists, and seemed to will his team to victory at the end.
“He’s very crafty using the ball screens, he can dance behind the screen, and if he’s hitting his 3-point shot, he’s a really difficult cover,” McMahon said. “That was a really big three he hit late — about a 25-footer.”
Although he was only 2-of-7 from 3-point range, Vincent had 17 points and made shots in crunch time.
“(Mike Rodriguez) wants the ball in his hands at crunch time. LeoVincent wants the ball in his hands at crunch time,” Hinson said. “Sean O’Brien — crunch time — made a big play. Our three seniors made big plays tonight.”
Southern’s gameplan was to pack the paint and force Murray State to shoot from the perimeter. It almost backfired, as the Racers made 9-of-16 from 3-point in the first half and 13-of-30 in the game. The Salukis countered with a 42-14 edge in points in the paint. Murray State was 14-of-40 from inside the arc and shot 39 percent from the field overall.
“We told our guys tonight, we’re not going to let them beat us in the paint,” Hinson said. “If they’re going to beat us, they’re going to have to beat us from the 3-point line.”
This was SIU’s first game of the season that came down to the wire. Southern’s previous six games were all decided by double figures one way or the other. Hinson hopes his team can draw from tonight’s experience.
“I know at least we have something to go back on,” he said. “We have some positive history.”
Speak Your Mind
You must be logged in to post a comment.