Preview: Murray State at Southern Illinois CARBONDALE, Ill. (Interstat) — A surging Murray State squad looks to solidify its Missouri Valley Conference standing when it visits a struggling Southern Illinois team at SIU Arena on Friday night. The Racers (17-7) enter with momentum from an 81-74 home victory over Illinois-Chicago on Tuesday. They will face a Salukis program (10-13) that is coming off a gritty 54-50 road win at Illinois State the same night, seeking consistency. Murray State boasts the superior record but has weathered a recent stretch of road struggles, losing four of its last five away from home. Their offense runs through guard Roman Domon, who is averaging 18.0 points over his last four games, including a 29-point performance at Northern Iowa on Jan. 24. He scored 18 in Tuesday’s win. Southern Illinois counters with guard Quel’Ron House, who is coming off a season-high 22 points in 39 minutes in the win at Illinois State. His backcourt play will be critical against Murray State’s backcourt. The teams met just over a month ago, with Murray State securing an 84-81 home victory on Dec. 29. The Racers have won three of their last four overall. For Southern Illinois, Friday’s game opens a pivotal homestand. The Salukis have shown defensive capability, holding opponents to 65 points or fewer in three of their last five games, but their offense has sputtered, failing to reach 70 points in four of those contests. Murray State’s path features more firepower, averaging 80.3 points per game in its last three outings. Beyond Domon, contributors like Fredrick King and Javon Jackson provide balance. The matchup pits Murray State’s potent offense against a Southern Illinois defense that has recently found a tougher identity. A Salukis upset would provide a major boost to their conference tournament seeding, while the Racers aim to avoid a damaging road loss as they chase a top-tier league finish. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. CST.