Kyle Weems scored on a driving shot in the lane with 1.4 seconds to go, capping top-seeded Missouri State's 11-0 closing run in a 58-56 victory over Southern Illinois on Friday in the Missouri Valley Conference tournament quarterfinals.
Weems, the conference player of the year, scored all but one of his 14 points in the second half after missing all seven shots in the first half. He finished 5-for-15 but made his last three shots, two of them 3-pointers.
Adam Leonard scored 20 points for Missouri State (24-7), with two of his five 3-pointers coming in the finishing surge. The Bears beat eighth-seeded Southern Illinois for the third time despite shooting 33 percent.
Mamadou Seck had 15 points and 14 rebounds for Southern Illinois (13-19). The Salukis' last points came with 2:48 to go when Justin Bocot scored on a drive for a 56-47 lead.
