ETSU Tops SIUE in Final Minute

Box Score

November 15, 2008

          CHARLESTON, S.C. - Southern Illinois University Edwardsville men's basketball took a close loss for the second straight day at the Charleston Classic.
          East Tennessee State, 1-1, handed SIUE a 65-62 defeat by holding off the Cougars in the final minute Saturday. The Cougars fell to 0-2, but SIUE Coach Lennox Forrester said his team is responding.
          "We are getting great effort," said the second-year head coach. "It's like what we told them in the locker room. If you keep putting out the effort, it will come."
          SIUE will get its next chance in the inaugural Charleston Classic Sunday when it plays the loser of Western Michigan and Hofstra at 9:30 a.m. CT.
          The Cougars picked up a team-high 15 points from freshman Mark Yelovich, who earned a spot in the lineup after posting a game-high 21 against College of Charleston. Aamir McCleary added 12 points and Barry Wellington tossed in 10.
          SIUE was hurt on the boards as East Tennessee State outrebounded the Cougars 49-36.
          Forrester said ETSU's nine offensive rebounds in the first half helped the Bucs take a 40-35 halftime lead.
          "We hurt ourselves by giving up offensive boards," said Forrester. SIUE responded in the second half and gave up just five to the Bucs.
          ETSU was up by one point with less than a minute to play. Kevin Tiggs, who led all scorers with 19 points, made the front end of a two-shot free throw with 41 seconds left to put ETSU up 62-60. On the ensuing possession, ETSU's Mike Smith stole the ball and then missed the layup. The offensive boards hurt the Cougars when Tiggs grabbed the ball and dunked it with 22 seconds left.
          After a Yelovich layup with 11 seconds left, ETSU's Smith made a free throw to put the Bucs up by three points. SIUE's last-second three-pointer by Aaron Garriott went off the rim as the final buzzer sounded.
          The Bucs also had two other players finish in double figures. Smith finished with 10 points and nine rebounds while teammate Courtney Pigram scored a double-double of 12 points and 12 rebounds.
          SIUE was hurt by foul trouble in the second half. McCleary fouled out late, but starter Nikola Bundalo played just 13 minutes due to two fouls in the first half and two more in the first minute of the second half.
          "The fouls took away a presence for us inside because Nikola can score inside. It definitely hurt us," said Forrester.
                    -siue cougars-

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Players Mentioned

#12 Nikola Bundalo: C; 6' 10"; Sophomore

#3 Aaron Garriott: G; 6' 3"; Senior

#23 Barry Wellington: G; 6' 0"; Senior

#33 Mark Yelovich: F; 6' 5"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

#12 Nikola Bundalo
: 6' 10"; Sophomore
: C

#3 Aaron Garriott
: 6' 3"; Senior
: G

#23 Barry Wellington
: 6' 0"; Senior
: G

#33 Mark Yelovich
: 6' 5"; Freshman
: F