NCAA Game Summary - Southern Illinois at Kent State

Kent, OH (Basketball News) - Jamaal Tatum tallied 22 points to lead the Southern Illinois Salukis over the Kent State Golden Flashes, 65-54, in a Bracket Buster tilt from the M.A.C. Center.

Matt Shaw added 14 points and eight rebounds for Southern Illinois (22-6), which won its fifth game in a row. Darren Brooks also delivered 14 points in the victory.

Kent State (16-10) was led by Scott Cutley and Jay Youngblood, who each scored 12 points. Marcus Crenshaw chipped in another 10 points for the Golden Flashes, who dropped their third straight outing.

Kent State struggled from the field in the first half, converting just 25.7 percent from the field while missing all 10 attempts from beyond the arc. The Salukis, meanwhile, hit 6-of-12 from three-point range and took a 32-20 lead into the break.

The Golden Flashes improved their shooting in the second stanza, but Southern Illinois converted 11-of-13 from the free-throw line to preserve the victory.

The Salukis enjoyed a 42.6 percent to 34.4 percent shooting advantage from the floor in the contest, and also outrebounded Kent State 42-34.