The 1-1 SIUE men's basketball team will open Great Lakes Valley Conference play this weekend, but not before a stop at Division I Murray State.
         The Cougars face Murray State on Wednesday and will then travel to Saint Joseph's and Indianapolis for GLVC contests on Saturday and Monday.
         Murray State, a perennial contender in the Ohio Valley Conference, is 2-0 on the season with victories against Wagner and West Florida. They are led by first-year head coach Mick Cronin.
         "It will be another challenge for us," Coach Marty Simmons said. "They'll press us for probably 40 minutes. We need to take care of the basketball and hopefully that will create scoring opportunities."
         The Cougars face a Saint Joseph's team that is off to a 1-1 start. The Pumas play non-conference foe Lake Superior State Tuesday night.
         SIUE then does battle with Indianapolis, off to a 3-0 start and one of the hottest teams in the league. The Greyhounds open GLVC play Saturday against Quincy.
         "We are just looking one game at a time," Simmons said. "Playing in this league is a marathon, not a sprint."
         Dan Lytle (Edwardsville) leads the Cougars with 16.5 points per game and 8.5 boards per game. Joel Jaye (Chicago) has contributed 12.0 points per game off the bench. Ron Jones (Kankakee) follows with 11.5 points per game.
         "We obviously want to get off to a good start, and playing on the road isn't always easy," Simmons said. "This team is resilient and will continue to grow all season long."
                -siue cougars-