ST. LOUIS — Southern Illinois triumphed over Indiana State with a score of 86-85 in a thrilling encounter at the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament on Thursday. Ali Dibba spearheaded the victory for the Salukis with an impressive 30-point performance. The game reached its climax as Davion Sykes secured a decisive layup with just 4.1 seconds left on the clock.
This win propels Southern Illinois, now holding a 14-18 record, into the quarterfinals where they will face the tournament’s top seed, Drake, on Friday.
Dibba’s outstanding contributions were not limited to scoring; he also pulled down nine rebounds. His teammate, Kennard Davis, provided substantial support by scoring 22 points on 9-for-17 shooting, including an efficient 4-for-7 from three-point range. Davis also snagged five rebounds and dished out five assists. Drew Steffe supplemented the Salukis’ offensive efforts with 10 points, going 4 for 7 on his shots and 2 for 4 from beyond the arc.
On the opposite side, Aaron Gray delivered a strong performance for the Indiana State Sycamores. He tallied 27 points while securing eight rebounds, though it wasn’t enough to clinch the victory. Camp Wagner contributed with 11 points and four assists, while Jaden Daughtry added 10 points and collected six rebounds.
Kennard Davis particularly shone in the latter half, during which he scored 14 of his total points to help Southern Illinois secure the tight win.
