Same story. Different game.
With Missouri State leading Southern Illinois by 13 points in the first half, Southern Illinois rallied to take the Bears to overtime, where the Salukis came away with a 85-84 victory.
“They made a run, they’re going to make a run,” Bears head coach Paul Lusk said on his postgame radio show.
This time, Missouri State (14-9, 5-5) allowed Southern Illinois (12-11, 5-5) to shoot 60 percent in the second half, while junior forward Sean O’Brien punished them down low. O’Brien scored 24 points on the night.
“We decided to not over-help on O’brien because he makes everyone better,” Lusk said.