Three Valparaiso University men’s basketball players scored in doubles figures and Ben Krikke (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada / Jasper Place) was a rebound shy of a double-double, but host Southern Illinois picked up a 77-55 victory on Sunday evening at the Banterra Center in Carbondale, Ill. The Salukis were led by a 22-point, seven-assist effort from Lance Jones.

How It Happened

• The two teams played even out of the gate as the first four minutes featured ties at two, five, seven and nine.
• After the 9-9 deadlock, SIU scored eight straight to build up a 17-9 lead by the 12:26 mark of the opening half. Valpo responded with the next five points including Krikke’s fourth 3-pointer of the season to slice the deficit to three at the half’s midway mark.
• SIU scored six in a row to open up its first double-figure lead at 25-14. Kobe King (La Crosse, Wis. / La Crosse Central) had a late-half surge with three inside baskets, but Valpo still trailed 43-26 at the break.
• The Salukis knocked down 60 percent of their shots before halftime including a 13-point, five-assist half for Jones.
• The lead reached 19 at the 17:54 mark and was 22 five minutes into the second half.
• Krikke scored 13 points in the second half alone as he and King combined for 21 of the team’s 27 points after the break.

Inside the Game

• Krikke finished with 20 points and a season-high nine rebounds, one board shy of his first double-double this year. He has scored 18 points or more in three straight games and has six 20+ point performances this year.
• King scored 14 points, marking his fourth straight game in double figures. He has scored in double figures in 10 of his 12 games this season.
• Fifth-year senior Kevion Taylor (Milwaukee, Wis. / Whitnall [Winona State]) also cracked double figures with 11 points, his third time in the last four games in double figures. He has scored 10 points or more a dozen times this season.
• Taylor went 0-for-4 from 3-point range, bringing his impressive streak of 84 consecutive games with a made 3 to an end. This marked his first game without a made 3 since Dec. 15, 2018 while playing for Winona State in a game at Concordia St. Paul. If Taylor’s streak had come in all Division-I games, it would have been the third-longest in Division-I history. He was four games away from second, seven from the D-I record and nine from the longest known streak in NCAA history, the D-II record.
• Sheldon Edwards (West Palm Beach, Fla. / Palm Beach Lakes [TLAP Sports Academy]) added eight points as four players accounted for 53 of the team’s 55 points.
• Valpo led the rebounding battle at halftime, but was outrebounded 22-13 after the break including a 7-2 disparity on the offensive glass.
• SIU had 22 assists on 31 made baskets, while Valpo had seven assists on 23 made baskets. Marcus Domask had eight assists and no turnovers for the Salukis.
• The Salukis entered the game allowing just 60.4 ppg, first in the MVC and 18^th nationally.

Up Next

Valpo (10-12, 3-7 MVC) will look to bounce back on Wednesday at 6 p.m. as Evansville comes to the Athletics-Recreation Center for a midweek showdown. The game will air on ESPN+ as well as 95.1 FM, The TuneIn Radio app and ValpoAthletics.com.