Southern Illinois Salukis vs UIC Flames
UIC outlasts Southern Illinois 84-82 in OT in Missouri Valley Conference Tournament opener
ST. LOUIS -- — Isaiah Rivera scored eight of his 28 points in the second overtime as 11th-seeded UIC upset sixth-seeded Southern Illinois 84-82 on Thursday in a first-round game in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament.
UIC advances to face the tournament's No. 3 seed, Bradley in a quarterfinal Friday.
Rivera added nine rebounds and five assists for the Flames (12-20). Ethan Pickett scored 16 points, going 7 of 11 (1 for 4 from 3-point range). Christian Jones had 15 points and shot 6 of 15 from the field and 2 for 3 from the line.
Xavier Johnson led the way for the Salukis (19-13) with 27 points, seven assists and two steals. Trent Brown added 16 points for Southern Illinois. AJ Ferguson also had 12 points and 14 rebounds.
UIC entered halftime up 41-27. Pickett paced the team in scoring in the first half with 11 points. Jaden Brownell scored six second-half points and Jones hit the game-tying layup with six seconds left in the second half to send the game to overtime. Rivera finished 3 of 4 from the field on the way to his eight points in double.
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Game Information
St. Louis, MO
Referee:Kelly Self
Referee:Jeb Hartness
Referee:Ervin Wilson
2025-26 Standings
| Missouri Valley ConferenceMissouri Valley Conference | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Murray State | 7-0 | - | 15-3 |
| Belmont | 6-2 | 1.5 | 16-3 |
| Bradley | 6-2 | 1.5 | 13-6 |
| Illinois State | 4-3 | 3 | 12-6 |
| Northern Iowa | 4-3 | 3 | 12-6 |
| Drake | 3-4 | 4 | 9-9 |
| UIC | 3-4 | 4 | 8-10 |
| Indiana State | 2-5 | 5 | 9-9 |
| Southern Illinois | 2-5 | 5 | 8-10 |
| Valparaiso | 2-5 | 5 | 8-10 |
| Evansville | 1-7 | 6.5 | 5-14 |
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