Jags win in thriller with SIU

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As Destiny Perkins dribbles down the court, the ring of a whistle echoes throughout The Jungle. With 39 fouls during the game, there was a foul called about every 58 seconds. Even with a lack of momentum due to stoppages, Coach Austin Parkinson and his squad were able to pull out a 81-78 win against the Southern Illinois Salukis.

The Jags were a victim to this high fouling game. Macee Williams, former Horizon League Player of the Year, played only 16 minutes because of foul trouble. When asked how he felt about it, Coach Austin Parkinson said, “They have a big, strong, physical team, so we knew it was going to be a physical game.”

10 of the Jags’ 18 fouls were in the first half. “In the first half we slapped down a lot and we had some players who tried to block shots when they shouldn't have,” Parkinson said.

On the other side of the ball, the Jags benefited greatly from the fouls, shooting 81.8% from the line. “They pressured us quite a bit and we knew we wanted to get inside,” said Parkinson.

Momentum is hard to start in basketball, and tonight was no different. Parkinson said “We would get ahead and they’d come back and tie… weathering their runs was what allowed us to finish up the win.”

Morgan Allen, who had a career night with 24 points, didn’t disagree. “ The fouls definitely affected the momentum, you have to play smart and keep the flow of the game going,” said Allen.

Recent transfer Destiny Perkins added, “Coach P. prepares us for these moments in practice. He has really helped me stay focused and fight through adversity when it comes.”

With the close win, the Jags improve to 2-0 on the season. Their next game is against #17 Miami FL on November 17.

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