The Daily Egyptian is published by the students of SIU at Carbondale. Except during vacations and exam weeks, The Daily Egyptian is published Monday through Friday during the fall and spring semesters and TWThF during the summer semester."

Salukis looking to build on first exhibition performance

The Salukis nearly gave all of Carbondale a heart attack.

SIU hounded Missouri Southern with relentless defensive pressure in the first half of Sunday's exhibition game, which led to 20 turnovers and a 19-point advantage going into halftime.

But Missouri Southern didn't roll over and die, and what initially began as a blow out became a somewhat competitive game in the second half.

The Lions never seriously threatened, but left the SIU Arena knowing they came within 10 points of knocking off one of the top mid-major programs in the nation.

But relax, said long-time assistant coach Rodney Watson. It's just the preseason.

"The score in exhibition games is not a big deal," said Watson, who led practice Thursday due to the birth of head coach Chris Lowery's fourth child.

"Exhibition games are more for us to really look at individuals, along with trying to look at what we do defensively."

Watson and the rest of the coaching staff will make their final assessment this Sunday against visiting Lincoln before the Salukis open the season Nov. 21.

Lincoln played its first exhibition game Wednesday, a 63-59 victory against Columbia College.

Preseason All-Heartland Conference guard D.J. Hogue led the Blue Tigers with 20 points, on 6-of-12 shooting from beyond the arc.

"They have very skilled guards," Watson said. "It'll be a good test, especially on the perimeter."

Lincoln's guards -Hogue, Jamaicus Ricks, Sean Briggs, Kelly Scarver and Luther Glover - combined for 43 of the Blue Tigers' 63 points, but will face ball pressure Sunday from a Saluki backcourt that thrives on turnovers.

SIU forced Missouri Southern into 33 turnovers, twice as many as the Lions gave away to their Division II foes last season.

The pressure defense produced 24 Saluki steals - nine from Darren Brooks alone - with 15 coming in the first half alone.

"We're no where near where we want to be late February and early March," Watson said. But the Salukis' offense was not as smooth.

Jamaal Tatum and LaMar Owen led SIU with 17 points apiece and carried the Salukis for the majority of their 60-50 victory.

The Salukis shot 50 percent from the field in the first half, on the strength of a combined 22 points from Tatum and Owen, but just a lowly 25 percent in the second half.

SIU shot just 37.1 percent for the game and Brooks, the Salukis' leading scorer a year ago, watched as just six of his 20 shots found the bottom of the net.

Missouri Southern made 18 trips to the charity stripe, while Owen sank one of three free throws and was the only Saluki to get to the foul line.

The Salukis were shorthanded with the suspensions of guards Stetson Hairston. Hairston and Dale will once again be relegated to the sidelines for Sunday's game, but Dale will be reinstated Nov. 23.

Josh Warren, one of only two senior big men, played just eight minutes as Lowery dolled out more time for Randal Falker, Jamaal Foster and Matt Shaw - three players who had never played a college basketball game.

"Once we get our team chemistry down, and people get into the flow I think we'll be fine," Tatum said.

SIU hosts Lincoln College Sunday at 2:05 p.m.