Missouri Valley Conference Odds: Southern Illinois at No 21 Creighton
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Frank Martin
No. 21 Creighton Bluejays looks to improve its hold onto its share first place in the Missouri Valley Conference with a home game against Southern Illinois.
The Bluejays have won 15 of their first 17 games for the first time since 2002-03 and for only the fifth time in school history. Creighton remains tied with Wichita State for the top spot in the conference. Southern Illinois Salukis was picked to finish near the bottom of the league but has exceeded expectations.
The key to this game maybe whether SIU’s inside force Mamadou Seck can prevent Creighton’s Doug McDermott from scoring around the basket. Creighton leads the series 49-36 and has won the last seven meetings, but three of those games have gone to overtime.
- Southern Illinois Salukis @ #21 Creighton Bluejays
When: 7:05 PM ET, Sunday, January 15, 2012
Where: Qwest Center Omaha, Omaha, Nebraska
TV: 7 p.m. ET; KMTV (Creighton), ESPN3
The Bluejays have opened as 16-point favorites on SBG Global Sportsbook’s Live NCAA Basketball Odds.
Southern Illinois Salukis (6-11, 3-3 Missouri Valley Conference): Seck has been the team’s most consistent player. The 6-forward from Senegal has led the team in scoring nine times and has been the top rebounder 13 times, including the last seven games. Seck averages 13.6 points and 8.2 rebounds and has had five double-doubles. Kendal Brown-Surles, who missed six games because of academics, is the only other player in double figures, averaging 10.1 Freshman Treg Setty has shown signs, but is too inconsistent to be counted on; he had 11 points in a seven-minute stretch against Indiana State, but sometimes disappears.
Creighton Bluejays (15-2, 5-1 MVC): All-MVC stalwart McDermott needs only seven points to reach the 1,000-mark for his career. McDermott, a sophomore who averages 24.2 points and 8.4 rebounds, has scored 20 or more points in 13 games this season; he had 20 Friday against Illinois State. Grant Gibbs, who averages 7.9 points, is coming off a double-double with 12 points and 10 assists. Antoine Young (12.2 points) and Gregory Echenique (8.9 points, 6.8 rebounds) are important cogs in an offense that averages 82.2 points.
1. Creighton shot 57.1 percent from the field and 55.6 percent on 3-pointers against Illinois State, the best an opponent has fared against ISU this year.
2. Echenique is finally starting to make free throws; he made only 9 of 24 to start the season and is now at 55.2 percent.
3. The SIU reserves have outscored their opponents reserves by an average of 11.3 points.
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creighton bluejays - doug mcdermott - grant gibbs - gregory echenique - kendal brown-surles - mamadou seck - qwest center omaha - southern illinois salukis - treg setty
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