No. 16 Butler Looks To Avenge Last Year's Loss To SIU Saturday

Salukis are 16-1 at home since the start of last season

Dec. 27, 2007

Butler has already proved its mettle with several impressive wins this season. A road victory against a team that dominates opponents at home would be another.

The 16th-ranked Bulldogs look to avenge last season's loss to Southern Illinois when the teams meet for the third time on Saturday night.

With 11 wins in its first 12 games, Butler owns one of the nation's best records despite playing only three games on its home court. The Bulldogs would be one of the country's few remaining unbeaten teams if not for a 43-42 loss at Wright State on Dec. 8.

While some teams have fattened up on easy early-season schedules, Butler already boasts victories over Virginia Tech, Texas Tech, Ohio State and Florida State.

Beating Southern Illinois (5-5) on the road, however, won't be easy.

The Salukis are 16-1 at home since the start of last season, with their only loss coming to then-No. 15 Indiana on Dec. 1. Southern Illinois is 82-4 at SIU Arena since the start of the 2001-02, posting a 35-3 mark against non-conference opponents.

The Salukis, winners of five of the last six Missouri Valley Conference titles, have won three of four home games this season, including a 71-56 victory over then-No. 24 Saint Mary's on Dec. 11.

Butler was enjoying a 22-game homecourt win streak before Southern Illinois ended that with a 68-64 win at Hinkle Fieldhouse on Feb. 17. The only other meeting between the teams was in 1963.

A.J. Graves scored 17 points and Butler made 14 of 15 free throws in the final 6:21 to finally take control and pull away to a 78-66 victory last Saturday over Florida Gulf Coast.

Both teams went to the foul line 28 times, but the Bulldogs made 26 while Gulf Coast was only able to convert 17 of its attempts.

"I hated this game for a long time because I knew what was coming," Butler coach Brad Stephens said. "It's right before Christmas. So we knew it was going to be a heck of a challenge."

Graves has been Butler's leading scorer in each of the last three games, averaging 21.0 points while shooting 40.6 percent (13-for-32) from 3-point range.

Wesley Clemmons scored a career-high 24 points as Southern Illinois rebounded from back-to-back losses - both on the road - with an 88-78 victory over Western Kentucky last Saturday.

"This is the best 5-5 I've ever felt in my life," Salukis coach Chris Lowery said. "We have to use this game and grow from it and enjoy this before the break. We have to see what we've done and see that practice does translate to games."

Clemmons, averaging 6.5 points this season, had never scored more than 13 points in 74 previous games.

The Salukis featured three players in double digits, including forwards Matt Shaw and Randal Falker, who had 24 and 20 points respectively. Falker added six rebounds and four assists while his one block made him the school's all-time leader in that category.

Shaw is the Salukis' leading scorer (13.7), followed by Falker (12.9) and Brian Mullins (10.7).