Southern Illinois secured an 80-70 victory over Richmond Thursday night, led by Damien Mayo Jr.’s incredible 25 points and six assists. This wasn’t just a win, it was a statement from a team that came out absolutely firing.
Salukis Came Out Firing
The Salukis looked dialed in from the jump, grabbing the lead just 12 seconds into the game and never letting go. They had Richmond chasing shadows, pushing the score to a commanding 43-32 by halftime. Mayo Jr. was already red-hot, racking up 14 points himself in that first half alone. But he wasn’t alone carrying the load. Jalen Haynes was an absolute force, chipping in 23 points on a super-efficient 6 of 11 from the floor, including 2 of 3 from downtown and a perfect 9 of 9 from the free-throw line. And Luke Susko wasn’t messing around either, hitting 3 of 6 from long range to finish with 11 points. This team looks dangerous when they are clicking like that!
Richmond Fought Back, But Couldn’t Close The Gap
Richmond definitely tried to make a game of it in the second half. They actually outscored Southern Illinois by one point after the break, showing some real fight. Dominick Stewart led the charge for the Spiders with his own 25 points and two steals, trying to spark a comeback. Jamie Kaiser Jr. added 16 points and Andrew Ball pitched in 13. But that massive first-half hole was just too much to climb out of. Haynes kept his foot on the gas for the Salukis, adding a team-high 11 points in the second half to help seal the deal and keep Richmond at bay.
With this win, Southern Illinois moves to a strong 2-1 record on the young season, while Richmond drops to 3-1. It’s an early statement from the Salukis, proving they are ready to compete. You have to love seeing a team come out firing and control a game from the jump.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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