SIUE Cougars (9-18, 3-11 OVC) vs. Belmont Bruins (23-5, 13-2 OVC)

Saturday, February 19, 4:00 p.m.
Curb Event Center (5,085), Nashville, Tennessee

LAST TIME
Tennessee State completed the season sweep of SIUE Thursday, knocking off the Cougars 81-65. Tennessee State never trailed in the game and SIUE tied the score only once, at 14-14, after a three-pointer from Shaun Doss, Jr. with 11:09 to play before halftime. The Tigers stretched the lead to 13 at the break thanks in part to nine offensive rebounds and 18 second-chance points in the first 20 minutes. The Cougars did a better job on the boards in the second half, but it wasn't enough. SIUE never got closer than 12, and TSU pushed its lead to as many as 18 points. The Cougars turned the ball over 18 times for the game, and the Tigers turned those miscues into 18 points.

CONFERENCE CALL
SIUE is playing its 11th Ohio Valley Conference season. The Cougars are 56-127 in OVC play. Head Coach Brian Barone has a 15-36 record in OVC play. 

LAST MEETING
An efficient night offensively wasn't enough for SIUE, as the Cougars fell to Belmont 80-64 Jan. 17. The Cougars had three players score in double figures, connected on 46 percent of their shots and collected 17 assists on 23 made baskets, but were hampered by turnovers. The Bruins forced 20 turnovers and used them to generate 23 points. Belmont outrebounded SIUE 34-28. DeeJuan Pruitt paced the Cougars with 14 points, all of which came in the first half. Shaun Doss, Jr. and Shamar Wright each scored 13 points for SIUE. Grayson Murphy turned in a triple-double for Belmont with 11 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists

TAYLOR TO MISS REMAINDER OF SEASON
Freshman guard Ray'Sean Taylor will miss the remainder of the 2022 season after tearing his right anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). Taylor sustained the injury in the second half of SIUE's game at Southeast Missouri on January 29, undergoing immediate testing and a subsequent MRI which revealed the ligament tear. Taylor sat out the 2020-21 season with the same injury, which he sustained in August 2020. Taylor led SIUE in scoring 14 times, scored in double figures in 19 of 21 games, and scored 20 or more points in a game nine times. He remains the leading scorer among first-year players in the country at 17.6 points per game. Taylor won the OVC Freshman of the Week award five times this season. 
HOME SWEET HOME
SIUE will play three of its remaining four games at First Community Arena. 

DP AWARDED
DeeJuan Pruitt earned his second selection as OVC Newcomer of the Week Monday. Pruitt averaged 12.0 points and 7.7 rebounds and 1.67 blocks last week. He was key in helping SIUE stop a long losing streak and finish the week with two wins.