Delay of game

Weber tiring of close games, wants more first half intensity

SIU stumbled with a slow start, caught up, built a lead, blew it and pulled off a nail-biting victory.

It could be a recap for any one of the Salukis' past three games, and head coach Bruce Weber is beginning to reach his boiling point over his team's lack intensity and preparation in the first half.

"For us, it's a broken record," Weber said after Wednesday's squeak-by victory over Bradley. "The same old thing. We find ways to win, make plays in the second half with a sense of urgency that doesn't seem to be there in the first half."

Weber did say he was thrilled his team is 8-1 halfway through the conference season, which was a goal he set back in November. But he knows wins such as Wednesday's could just as easily turn into losses.

He is finished taking chances and hopes his team is as well. Weber, ironically, wants his team to play as it did during its Jan. 18 loss at Creighton.

"I don't want to be like Ohio State football," Weber said. "They probably should have lost three or four games last year. They kept finding ways to win and then they won the national championship.

"Creighton was the only game we came ready to play and we lost that one, so it's kind of bass-ackwards."

A fine example of what Weber is looking for drove out of Carbondale Wednesday night. The Braves, despite the handicap of losing one of the best players in the Missouri Valley Conference two weeks before the game, came out of the locker room on fire and jumped all over the Dawgs before they could gain their composure and mount a comeback.

Mike Suggs, cousin of the estranged Granger, scored 18 points and pulled down nine rebounds in the first half, perplexing SIU defenders until late in the game.

"He kind of surprised us," said Saluki senior Jermaine Dearman of Bradley's new go-to guy. "We knew he was a shooter, but we didn't know he could get out of control like that."

Suggs' performance, along with the 21-point night of James Gillingham and the overall effort of the rest of the team caused Bradley head coach Jim Les to swallow the loss rather easily.

"I can't fault their effort," Les said. "The kids were outstanding. They played their tails off and it was a good team effort. We're not scared of anybody or to play anywhere. Teams are going to have to knock us out to beat us."

On a brighter note, Sylvester Willis finally seems to have gotten his game going after the worst stretch of his career as a Saluki. Willis scored eight points - four times what he scored in the past four games - and got his hands on the ball in crucial situations.

"That's my wild and wacky roommate, man," Dearman said. "But he turned on the serious mode tonight and stepped up when it really counted. He just played real solid."

That is precisely what Weber wants from the entire team when it faces Wichita State Saturday.

Reporter Michael Brenner can be reached at mbrenner@dailyegyptian.com