ST. LOUIS – SIU’s Xavier Johnson was named the Missouri Valley Conference Newcomer of the Week, the league office announced Monday. The honor is the first of his career at Southern Illinois and the second weekly award for the Salukis this season.
Photo By Tim McCaughan, SIUSalukis.com
Johnson shot lights out over the past week for the Salukis, converting 13-of-16 shots over two games to finish with an 81.3 field goal percentage, including a 10-of-12 mark from behind the arc. He averaged a team-high 18.5 points and four steals for SIU while also averaging 4.5 rebounds and two assists per game.
The Germantown, Maryland native led the Salukis to their first MVC win on the road at Evansville with a 14-point, four rebounds and two steal performance, hitting 5-of-6 shots from the floor and all four attempts from distance.
Johnson went on to score a career-high 23 points on the road at Saint Louis after shooting 8-for-10 from the field and 6-for-8 from deep. His six steals and six 3-pointers against the Billikens also set new career-high marks.
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The Salukis return to Banterra Center for the first of four-straight home games on Wednesday when they play host to Indiana State at 7 p.m.