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Fay leads SIU past Broncos |
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Written by Paul Bowker
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CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Carlton Fay‘s career game busted the Broncos on Saturday‘s BracketBuster day. A junior forward, Fay ripped Western Michigan for 38 points in an 89-72 Southern Illinois win over Western Michigan. Fay‘s game marked the highest single-game point total for an SIU player in 14 years.
Fay hit 10-of-13 shots, including 3-of-6 3-pointers. He converted 15-of-17 free throws and four defensive rebounds. And not one turnover. So dominating was his performance that Fay had more points at halftime (22) than any other player had in the entire game, including Mid-American Conference leading scorer David Kool, who led WMU (14-13) with 21 points.
“It was a special effort,” SIU coach Chris Lowery said. “He deserves it; he‘s worked hard.”
The Salukis (15-12) have struggled in the Missouri Valley Conference this season, losing 10-of-16 games to date, but they have won six consecutive nonconference games at home. They chewed up WMU for the second straight year; the Salukis topped the Broncos by 18 last year. WMU will play host to SIU next year, as a part of the BracketBusters agreement.
Beyond Fay’s hot shooting, the Broncos had trouble defending SIU’s quick passing, which led to open shots for Fay, and a game-high six assists for guard Kevin Dillard and a team-high eight rebounds for guard Justin Bocot.
“It looked like an NBA game out there, in terms of rotations,” WMU head coach Steve Hawkins said. “I thought (Fay) really benefited from great guard play. Not just good guard play -- great guard play.”
Fay, 6-foot-8, got most of his points in the paint, and drew fouls when he couldn‘t score.
“I wasn’t just sitting and shooting jumpers,“ Fay said. “I was taking the ball to the basket and using my pump fake to get guys in the air and go into them and draw some fouls.“
Kendal Brown-Surles came off the bench to add 12 points for the Salukis. Flenard Whitfield had his first career double-double for the Broncos, with 13 points and 12 rebounds. Demetrius Ward added 12 points.
Fay played a game-high 36 minutes, hitting his first shot 1:09 into the game and finishing off his day with a jump shot with 24 seconds left.
The Salukis never trailed, and had an eight-point lead six minutes into the game. Making nearly 70 percent of their shots in the first half, the Salukis led 52-37 at halftime -- the most points scored by SIU in one half since 2004.
The Broncos trimmed that lead to nine points twice in the second half, once on a basket by Ward and then a shot by Whitfield with 9:02 left to make it 63-54. A 7-0 run by SIU, including three consecutive free throws by Fay, put it away for the Salukis.
When the Broncos tried to use 3-point shooting to get back into the game, it failed. WMU missed 9-of-10 3-point attempts in the second half; Kool missed all three that he took. SIU was just as inept; the Salukis missed all five 3-pointers in the second half.
The Broncos did hit three consecutive 3-pointers in the first half, two of them by junior guard Alex Wolf, to pull within two points, 21-19, but Fay answered with a 3-pointer to begin an 18-8 SIU run.
Ward scored all 12 of his points in the second half after not taking a shot in the first half.
WMU heads back into MAC West play Wednesday night at Toledo, the second of three consecutive road games in a stretch that concludes with a big game at rival Central Michigan next Saturday.
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