EVANSVILLE, Ind. (AP) Colt Ryan's 25 points led Evansville to a 78-60 victory over Southern Illinois in a Missouri Valley opener Thursday night.
Denver Holmes and Kenneth Harris scored 11 points apiece for the Purple Aces (6-5), who were coming off a nine-day layoff.
Mamadou Seck led the Salukis (3-9) with 20 points before fouling out. Kendal Brown-Surles added 13 for Southern Illinois, which has lost four straight.
Seck made 9 of his 13 shots, but Southern Illinois went just 23 of 56 from the floor (41 percent). The Purple Aces shot 51 percent (24 of 47).
But the big difference came at the foul line, where Evansville went 26 of 37 to Southern Illinois' 12 of 18.
The Purple Aces led 48-27 at halftime.
