Southern Illinois University Edwardsville secured the first spot in the men’s 2025 NCAA tournament, locking up the Ohio Valley Conference’s automatic bid with a 69-48 win over Southeast Missouri State in the OVC conference tournament final Saturday night.
It will be SIUE’s first trip to the NCAA Division I tournament in program history. The Cougars last played in the NCAA Division II tournament in 2006; SIUE made the jump to D-I in 2008.
SIUE’s Ray’Sean Taylor, a fifth-year guard and the OVC player of the year, led the Cougars with 20 points, becoming the program’s all-time leading scorer (1,952 points). He tied, then broke, the record on two free throws with 3:02 to play. He also grabbed seven rebounds and dished four assists.
Southeast Missouri State jumped out to a 7-point lead early before SIUE figured it out, holding the Redhawks to 10-of-31 (32 percent) shooting in the first half. The Cougars led by 11 at halftime, then staved off a 10-1 run from Southeast Missouri State to open the second, ripping off a 16-0 run of their own to build a double-digit lead and run away with the win.
SIUE also held Southeast Missouri State to a miserable shooting night from beyond the arc. The Redhawks average more than seven made 3s per game but against SIUE went 3-of-24 (13 percent) from long distance, a season low. Southeast Missouri State finished shooting 1-of-17, going without a field goal for more than six minutes.
It was SIUE’s first win over Southeast Missouri State this season; the Redhawks swept the Cougars in the regular season. SIUE turned 13 offensive rebounds into 11 second-chance points and outscored Southeast Missouri State’s bench 19-2.
SIUE is projected to be a No. 16 seed and play in the First Four in Dayton.
After the game, SIUE coach Brian Barone joined the ESPN broadcast and held up a framed pair of scissors — scissors that he hung above the Cougars’ locker room door six years ago with the intention of one day breaking the glass and using to cut down championship nets. Saturday night, he and his players finally got to do that.
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
Barone, in his sixth season, credited Taylor and his teammates for being “guys who stuck with us in a culture where people aren’t sticking,” a reference to the transfer portal and star midmajor players who frequently jump up to the Power Four.
He interrupted his interview to embrace Taylor, slapping him on the back and repeatedly telling his fifth-year guard, “I love you, man. I’m so proud of you. I’m so proud of you.”
(Photo of Ray’Sean Taylor: Icon Sportswire via Associated Press)
