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Missouri Valley Tournament – Opening Round Overview
Arch Madness, Day 1
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Southern Illinois 57, Illinois State 54
Looking to reclaim some of the Arch Madness magic that had carried the school in the early 2000s, the Salukis knew they were going to have to start small in the 8-9 game of the 2011 Missouri Valley Conference Tournament. They did just that, downing Illinois State in one of Thursday night’s two first-round tilts to pick up their first tournament win since 2007.
Justin Bocot had 13 points, including a three-pointer that gave the Salukis the lead for good with 5:49 left, to lift Southern Illinois to safety. The trey put the Salukis up by a score of 49-46; over five minutes later, the Redbirds appeared to tie it up in the game’s dying moments (at 55-apiece) on an Austin Hill three-pointer. After review, however, it was ruled a two-pointer, and ISU’s comeback bid was thwarted. Blessed with a one-point lead, Southern Illinois broke down Illinois State’s defensive pressure to get an easy basket: A Saluki dunk with six seconds left ended the scoring and ushered coach Chris Lowery’s team to the quarterfinals. With the win, the Salukis advance to face top-seeded Missouri State today.
Bradley 63, Drake 48
After their regular-season-ending romp over Drake last weekend, the Bradley Braves were looking for more of the same in the first round of the MVC tournament. However, after seeing a 27-22 halftime lead disappear on the power of a 13-4 Bulldog run, things were looking grim. In need of a spark, the Braves found it.
Dyricus Simms-Edwards got three of his 26 points on a lay-up and free throw. He then picked up an assist on a three-pointer the next time down the court, sparking a 10-0 Braves run that put them ahead 44-35. That proved to be all Bradley and coach Jim Les needed, as the Bulldogs couldn't get closer than six the rest of the way.
The Braves now have a two-game winning streak as they prepare for second-seeded Wichita State in tonight’s quarterfinal matchup.
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Looking Ahead To Day 2 - Quarterfinals
Missouri State vs. Southern Illinois (Today, 12:05 PM CST, MVC TV)
The Salukis don't get much of a break in this contest, with their game scheduled roughly 16 hours after their last game. This is part of a fair Missouri Valley Conference scheduling policy – the top seed should indeed get to play earlier in the day so that it gains a maximum of rest. A team that finishes toward the bottom of the standings is given an intentionally tough road during Arch Madness; that’s how the regular season acquires added value. The Bears won their two match-ups this season by 13 and 18 points, so they should be able to win this one pretty easily. With their bench only having two guys that play more than 10 minutes per game, they'll be looking to give their starters some rest as they look ahead to the next two days.
Northern Iowa vs. Creighton (2:35 PM CST or 30 minutes after the end of Missouri State-Southern Illinois, MVC TV)
After losing their first matchup to UNI by five points, Creighton bounced back to beat the Panthers by eight in the season finale. This game should come down to the wire, and while the Panthers are the higher seed due to a granular tiebreaker (both teams finished 10-8 in conference), the Bluejays have the talent to bring this game down to the wire.
Wichita State vs. Bradley (6:05 PM CST, MVC TV)
Wichita State, by virtue of the Bradley (seed) upset over Drake, gets the lowest seed in the quarterfinals. The Shockers won the two regular-season matchups by 16 and 20 points, though the last game came on January 29th. The Braves have improved since then, and are 6-3 in February. That said, the Shockers should still be able to pull away and win this game with relative ease against the No. 10 team in the league.
Indiana State vs. Evansville (8:35 PM CST or 30 minutes after the end of Wichita State-Bradley, MVC TV)
The Sycamores lost both games against the Aces this season, though by just a combined eight points. They've had their successes in frustrating Ace star Colt Ryan – who went 4-of-17 from the field in the two games the teams played – but will need to find the extra push to actually pull out a win this time around.
By: Matt Zemek & Sujal Shah
DFN Sports Staff Writers
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