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.
------
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belmont | 16-4 | - | 26-6 |
| Bradley | 13-7 | 3 | 21-13 |
| Illinois State | 12-8 | 4 | 23-13 |
| Murray State | 12-8 | 4 | 20-13 |
| UIC | 12-8 | 4 | 19-16 |
| Northern Iowa | 11-9 | 5 | 23-13 |
| Valparaiso | 11-9 | 5 | 18-15 |
| Southern Illinois | 10-10 | 6 | 16-16 |
| Drake | 6-14 | 10 | 14-20 |
| Indiana State | 4-16 | 12 | 11-21 |
| Evansville | 3-17 | 13 | 7-25 |
Men's College Basketball News

Arizona star Koa Peat to remain in NBA draft, sources say
9h

Vanderbilt PG Tyler Tanner withdraws from NBA draft
12h

Milan Momcilovic withdraws from NBA draft, set for college return
11h

