Arch Madness: Rivalry reaches new heights
ST. LOUIS – Sandwiched in the CBS lineup between two of the biggest rivalries in college hoops, Kentucky vs. Florida and Duke vs. North Carolina, exists one of the most underrated rivalries – Creighton vs. Southern Illinois.
There is no hate lost between these two squads and their fan bases are the most active in the Missouri Valley Conference. It’s not as if the hatred isn’t seen on both sides. Southern Illinois fans wear shirts that say, “I H8 CR8ON,” and games at the Qwest Center against SIU have been big time student sell outs in recent years. No one likes the Salukis and the feeling from Carbondale is mutual.
Anyone who has been to a Creighton-Southern Illinois matchup in the past few years knows exactly what to expect: a hard-fought game, with a strong defense, clutch shots and a lot of energy. And, if recent history prevails, a close finish.
No matter how you slice it, this is the premier rivalry in the conference. Other teams want to knock off the Jays and the Salukis, but none have come close.
Today the entire nation has the chance to watch this matchup, which should be a good one. Nate Funk vs. Jamaal Tatum, Anthony Tolliver vs. Randal Falker. It should be a battle.
NOTES AND QUOTES:
-Creighton is 9-1 in 10 previous tournament title games, including seven straight victories. Three of those wins were against Southern Illinois and the Jays are 5-0 under Dana Altman, the all-time record holder for tournament victories by a coach.
-Creighton has won the MVC Tournament each of the last three times they’ve been the second seed.
-In all six previous MVC tournament meetings between Creighton and Indiana State, the winner of that game has gone on to win the tournament. And the last four times that the top four seeds made the semifinals (2003, 2002, 2000, 1999), Creighton went on to win the tournament despite facing a better seeded team in the final.
-"Both games, the one at Creighton and the one at Southern Illinois, were blood baths. They unfortunately had a game winner against us at home, and we couldn't come back at the end of the game at their place. I expect a real close game. I expect them to play tough defense like they always have. They're one of the toughest defensive teams in the nation and that's what we expect out of them," Nate Funk said.
-"I think the hardest part [of making the conference tournament final] is these first two games are always a grind, and then once you get in the championship, anything can happen, and you know, people think, you know, we get tired by the time the third game around, but you know, it's a championship game. You find energy. I don't know where it comes from. It's just pure adrenaline. I don't know what it is, but you find energy. So I think the toughest part, I mean, we're through. Now we've just got to play a game, one game and we're done. We're done with this tournament. Hopefully tomorrow we can come out and just play hard and see what happens," Anthony Tolliver said.
