Box Score Carobondale, Ill.- Southern Illinois (9-9, 4-3 MVC) used a second-half surge to top Wichita State (8-10, 1-6 MVC), 63-52, Saturday afternoon in Carbondale, Ill.
Mantas Griskenas collected a career-high 11 points with 3-of-3 shooting from three-point range and brought down five boards. Gal Mekel led the Shockers with 12 points on 50 percent field goal shooting and went 5-of-6 from the free throw line. Phil Thomasson had a team-high six rebounds, but was limited in the second half after fouling out with nine minutes remaining in the game. His replacement, J.T. Durley fouled out a minute and a half later.
Randal Falker led the Salukis with a game-high 15 points. Joshua Bone and Bryan Mullins also ended in double-digits with 11 points apiece. Falker and Matt Shaw each collected six rebounds.
The Shockers out-rebounded the Salukis 31-29, which included 11 offensive boards for WSU. Wichita State shot 38.6 percent and continued to struggle at the line with 64.7 percent on 11-of-17 shooting. SIU shot 45.2 percent from the field and went 20-of-25 from the line for 80.0 percent.
Wichita State started the game on a 7-2 run sparked by a P.J. Couisnard three and capped by two free throws from Mekel. SIU took the lead with two-three pointers by Bone and a layup by Falker. WSU took its last lead with a Griskenas three to go up 12-10. The teams traded baskets for the next six minutes until Mekel sank a three to tie the game at 17-17 with 5:16 left in the first. The Salukis controlled the last minutes of the half with a 13-6 run and headed into the break with a 30-23 lead.
The Shockers had one rally left in them, as they tied the game, 32-32, on a jumper by Ramon Clemente with 16:24 remaining in the game. The momentum was short-lived, however. The Salukis responded with a 13-2 run to seize control of the contest.
Saluki point guard Bryan Mullins hit a couple of back-breaking shots that snuffed out a late rally by Wichita State. After Graham Hatch made a 3-pointer to cut it to 47-41 with 6:44 left, Mullins scored five-straight points for SIU, first draining a three-ball and then connecting on a pull-up jumper in the lane as the shot clock was about to expire.
Wichita State comes home for a three-game stretch that begins Wednesday, Jan. 23, against Northern Iowa at 7:05 p.m.
-Wichita State-
