Bears Look to Settle Score with Rival Salukis

Missouri State Bears (14-8, 5-4 MVC) at Southern Illinois Salukis (11-11, 4-5 MVC)
Date and Time	Saturday, Jan. 28, 7 p.m. (Central)
Location	SIU Arena (8,339) \| Carbondale, Ill.
Tickets	SIU Game \| Loyola Game
Radio	KTXR (101.3 FM) (Art Hains, Mike Keltner) \| MSU Radio Network \| Listen Live
Television	FOX Sports Midwest \| MVC Television Network (John Rooney, Rich Zvosec)
Series	SIU leads 44-37 \| Last Meeting: SIU 75, MSu 67 (1/7/17)
Live Stats	Live Stats
Game Notes	Missouri State \| Southern Illinois \| MVC Notebook \| MSU Media Guide
Follow	Facebook \| Athletics Twitter \| Basketball Twitter \| Instagram \| #MSUBears
Watch ESPN	Video Link
Up Next	The Bears return to JQH Arena on Tuesday for a 7 p.m. game against Loyola \| Tickets

Missouri State (14-8, 5-4 MVC) looks to protect its share of third place in the Missouri Valley Conference standings on Saturday evening when the Bears head to Southern Illinois (11-11, 4-5) for a key conference matchup at 7 p.m. The Salukis defeated the Bears, 75-67, at JQH Arena on Jan. 17 in the first meeting between the two clubs this season.

Series History
The Bears and Salukis first met in 1957 in a rivalry that has seen SIU take a 44-37 lead. The Bears are 9-24 in Carbondale against SIU, including a 53-50 win on Dec. 31, 2014.

Earlier this season in Springfield (Jan. 7), Missouri State dropped a 75-67 decision with SIU getting 22 points from Mike Rodgiguez to pace the upset. MSU converted 49.1 percent of its shots, but could not overcome a double-figure scoring deficit early in the first half. Dequon Miller scored 15 off the bench with Jarred Dixon adding 15 points, and Alize Johnson accounting for 11 points and 11 rebounds for the Bears. Sean O'Brien added 10 points and 7 boards for the Salukis with Thik Bol providing 11 points and 9 rebounds.

MSU has won 11 of the last 17 meetings between the two squads.

Scouting the Salukis
Fifth-year head coach Barry Hinson returns eight lettermen and three starters froma 22-10 club that went 11-7 in the MVC last season to tie for fourth place.

Sophomore Armon Fletcher (G, 6-4) leads the Salukis this season with 13.5 points per game, 39 3-pointers and 31 steals. Preseason All-MVC pick Sean O'Brien (F, 6-7) averages 11.4 points and a team-best 7.9 rebounds per night, with Mike Rodriguez (G, 5-10) posting 13.2 points and 97 assists. The Salukis are 8-4 at home this season, but have lost 4 of their last 5 games headed into the weekend.

The Ten Count

The Bears are 5-4 at the midway point in the MVC slate, tied for third place, which matches 2011-12 for the club's best record at the turn in the last six seasons. MSU's postseason teams of 2010 and 2014 were 4-5 at the turn.
Alize Johnson (Jr., Williamsport, Pa.) is MVC Newcomer of the Week for the fifth time and leads the league with 11.0 rebounds per game. He has recorded 10 or more rebounds in 10 straight ball games and 16 times overall. He is coming off 17 points and 17 rebounds in Tuesday's game against Drake -- his 13th double-double of the year.
MSU's 187 3-pointers this season puts it on the verge of becoming the eighth team in program history to reach 200 treys in a season. The 2013-14 team (230) was the most-recent to do so with the 2009-10 club hitting a record 252.
The Bears have not been out-rebounded in 10 games. USC (Dec. 22) was the last team to better MSU on the glass.
Dequon Miller (Sr., Charleston, W.Va.) has scored in double figures in 8 of 9 MVC games and is averaging 16.0 points per game against Valley foes. The 2016 MVC Newcomer of the Year is also averaging 4.2 assists and a team-best 18 3-pointers in conference ball games. He is also scoring a team-best 13.9 points per game in road games.
Miller needs 14 points to reach 700 for his career -- a milestone achieved by just 20 two-year players in MSU history.
Ryan Kreklow (So., Columbia, Mo.) will be appearing in his 50th career game. He is coming off a 9-point effort against Drake on Tuesday in which he dropped in his 72nd and 73rd career 3-pointers.
Austin Ruder (Jr., Nixa, Mo.) hit 3 treys against Drake, giving him 164 for his career and a triple in 7 straight games.
Jarred Dixon (So., Kansas City, Mo.) needs just 4 points to reach 400 for his career (52 games).
Former Saluki players who have recently coached at MSU include Bears head coach Paul Lusk (1992-95), and former assistants Brad Korn (1999-2004), Derrick Tilmon (1997-2000), Kent Williams (1999-2003) and Kyle Smithpeters (2004-06). SIU head coach Barry Hinson was 169-117 (.591) in 9 seasons (1999-2008) as head coach at MSU.

Bears Look to Settle Score with Rival Salukis

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Players Mentioned

Jarred Dixon

Alize Johnson

Ryan Kreklow

Dequon Miller

Austin Ruder

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