SIU Edwardsville earns 2025’s first NCAA men’s tournament bid, winning OVC over Southeast Missouri State

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Southern Illinois University Edwardsville has earned the first automatic bid of the 2025 NCAA men’s basketball tournament, defeating Southeast Missouri State, 69-48, to win the Ohio Valley Conference championship on Saturday night in Evansville, Indiana.

With the win, SIUE also earned its first berth in the Division I NCAA men’s tournament in program history. The school moved up from Division II in 2008 after competing in the Great Lakes Valley Conference for 15 years.

Head coach Brian Barone has the Cougars in the field of 68 for the first time with only the third winning season in his six years in Edwardsville. After finishing 8-13 in Barone’s debut season. SIUE goes into the NCAA tournament with a 22-11 record and 13-7 mark in the OVC.

For the first time in program history, the SIUE Cougars are going dancing in the NCAA Tournament. After 14 long years, Rae’Sean Taylor and SIU Edwardsville are OVC Champs pic.twitter.com/meLiVEvTol

— NCAA Buzzer Beaters & Game Winners (@NCAABuzzerBters) March 9, 2025

The Cougars shook off a slow start, falling behind 12-5 before going on a 15-4 run and taking the lead on a 3-pointer by Brian Taylor II. SIUE didn’t surrender the lead for the remaining eight minutes of the first half and opened up a 35-24 margin at halftime behind nine points from Ray’Sean Taylor and eight by Taylor.

SIUE coach Brian Barone put a framed pair of scissors above the locker room door six years ago. Now, the Cougars get to cut down the net and go dancing.

“People didn’t think we were going to be able to do it … We’ve been waiting six years.”

March has arrived! Gotta love it! pic.twitter.com/arft6dJqeX

— Trevor Hass (@TrevorHass) March 9, 2025

However, after shooting 32% (10-of-31) in the first 20 minutes and scoring far below their 75 points per game average, SEMO made its first three shots of the second half, including a 3 by Rob Martin that cut the Cougars’ lead to 36-31. The Redhawks kept chipping away at the free throw line until tying the score at…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/college-basketball/article/siu-edwardsville-earns-2025s-first-ncaa-mens-tournament-bid-winning-ovc-over-southeast-missouri-state-040406905.html

Author : Yahoo Sports

Publish date : 2025-03-09 04:04:00

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