SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, Calif. – Southern Illinois forward Marcus Domask went for a season high 21 points, but it wasn’t enough as UNLV matched SIU’s defensive intensity, forcing 21 Saluki turnovers on their way to a 56-49 victory in the opening round of the SoCal Challenge.
The Salukis (3-2) took a 30-26 lead into the locker room after a first half that saw the SIU shoot 63.2 percent (12-of-19) from the field, including 6-for-13 from behind the arc. Domask had eight points for the Salukis in the first half while senior Lance Jones added seven points, including a bucket at the buzzer to extend the SIU lead to four.
It was a tale of two halves though as the Runnin’ Rebels (5-0) were able to pick up the scoring in the second half, hitting 60 percent (13-of-22) of their second half attempts from the floor while Southern scored just six field goals in the final 20 minutes.
Midway through the second half, a 9-0 run helped UNLV to a five-point lead and Southern was not able to regain control. The Salukis pulled to within three points just over a minute remaining after Domask connected on a pair of free throws, but UNLV’s Elijah Harkless drilled a 12-foot jumper with 35 seconds left to close out the game.
The Runnin’ Rebels had three double-digit scorers led by Keshon Gilbert who had 18. Harkless added 16 while Luis Rodriguez added 14 for UNLV. Domask was the lone Saluki to score more than 10 points.
Though SIU won the battle on the boards 29-28, UNLV outscored the Salukis 32-18 in the paint.
UP NEXT
The Salukis take on Cal Baptist Wednesday evening in the third-place game of the SoCal Challenge. The tip is scheduled for 12 a.m. CT/10 p.m. PT on CBS Sports Network.
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