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Salukis hold off Bearcats

By Todd Hefferman, The Southern

Thursday, November 6, 2008 11:03 PM CST

CARBONDALE - The revolving door never looked so pretty for the Southern Illinois University men's basketball team Thursday night.

SIU coach Chris Lowery shuffled players in so quickly at SIU Arena against Southwest Baptist, they seemed to score before fans even knew they were in the game. Nine different players scored in the opening half, and the Salukis needed every bit of a balanced attack to hold off the Division II Bearcats 87-79.

"We wore 'em down. We got people to where we usually get people," Lowery said. "They were fatigued. They were tired."

SIU needed two late free throws to seal its last tune-up before Tuesday's season opener against Division II California (Pa.). Wesley Clemmons' two free throws with 12 seconds to play sealed the victory after Baptist cut a 15-point lead with 1:59 to go to four in the final seconds.

Carlton Fay and Bryan Mullins led five players in double figures with 13 points. Tony Boyle came off the bench for 12 points and four rebounds in 24 minutes. Freshman Torres Roundtree scored 11 in his first unofficial start of the season, and former McCluer North (Mo.) High School teammate Anthony Booker added 11 more.

Tony Boyle had 12 more off the bench and four rebounds. Boyle was one of six players to play 10 minutes or more.

Baptist center Matt Rogers, a preseason All-American, scored a game-high 16 points to go with his game-high nine boards.

Baptist, playing in its first and only exhibition of the season, stayed in the game with 13 3-pointers and an 18 of 27 effort at the free-throw line.

SIU hit only 1 of 9 of its 3-point attempts, but still shot 48.1 percent from the field for the game. The Salukis closed the game out at the line in the second half, finishing 34 of 51.

Ryan Hare scored five to go with four rebounds in 20 minutes in his season debut. The 6-4 freshman guard put back a Roundtree miss with 1:37 to go to help keep the lead.

Baptist, the sixth-ranked team in the country in one Division II preseason poll, got within one at the break but was unable to keep up with SIU's depth in its first exhibition game of the season. D'Ante Harris scored 17, Nick Kovacevich had 15 and Missouri State transfer Tomas Brock added 10.

Fay helped restart the Salukis in the second half, scoring seven of the team's first nine points. The 6-foot-8 sophomore scored six straight points at one time, scoring inside with just over 17:33 to play to make it 46-43. Fay finished 4 of 9 from the field and 5 of 7 at the free-throw line in 16 minutes.

Lowery said if his team is to continue the rotation it had Thursday night, his newcomers would have to value their time more.

"We're playing so many people, and it's not going to be that way the rest of the way," he said. "Guys gotta take care of the ball, and value the ball."

SIU opens the regular season at home at 7:35 p.m. The game is the first of two in the 2K Sports Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer. Division II Arkansas-Monticello and Arkansas tip off at 5 p.m. in the other game Tuesday night.

todd.hefferman@thesouthern.com / 351-5087