CARBONDALE, Ill. - After three-straight losses, in which opponents averaged 80 points per game, Southern Illinois head coach Chris Lowery recognized something was amiss with his team. When senior forward Tony Boyle spoke up after last week's loss at Western Kentucky, everything came into focus.
"Tony Boyle told me I was too soft," Lowery said, shortly after his team smothered Saint Louis, 64-48, Tuesday night. "I let some things slip, and that was on me. I needed to get back to coaching how I need to coach, and these kids responded."
Four days of old-school, rigorous Saluki practices paid off as the Salukis (3-3) were able to wear down and frustrate the Billikens (2-4) throughout the game, holding them to 36 percent shooting, including 3-of-16 from outside the 3-point arc.
"Our practices have to be harder than the games," Lowery said. "They can't be reversed. We''ve been resting on defense for three-straight games, and we didn't...
(
