CARBONDALE - From the opening possession Saturday night, Southern Illinois' ball pressure was back in form against Creighton.

Josh Dotzler committed the first of the Bluejays' 18 turnovers 11 seconds into the game on a five-second call. P'Allen Stinnett dribbled to China but just could not get past Bryan Mullins with 7:17 to play for another giveaway, as he was whistled for a five-second call. Tied up near the top of the key with 33 seconds to play, Dane Watts forced a pass toward the baseline that went out of bounds to SIU.

In the end, Creighton went 12:43 without a field goal at SIU Arena, and the Salukis finally got back to dominating a game without the basketball.

SIU (10-10 overall and 5-4 in the Missouri Valley Conference) pulled into a three-way tie for third place in the league standings with a 48-44 win. Creighton (14-5, 5-4) fell for the seventh straight time at SIU Arena and fell into the three-way tie for third with Indiana State and the Salukis.

"We kept them making up another play," SIU senior forward Randal Falker said.

"We got a chance to grind 'em, and we've always been good at grinding people and grinding the clock, and really getting what we want in the end," SIU coach Chris Lowery said.

Despite committing 14 turnovers to six assists, the Salukis were able to survive with a few quick hands and quicker feet.

SIU trailed 37-27 with 12:56 to play, but climbed to within two after Matt Shaw's second consecutive 3-pointer. On the very next pass, right after a media timeout at the 7:21 mark, Stinnett lost the basketball when Mullins got a hand on an inbounds pass that touched Creighton's starting guard on its way out of bounds. Down 45-41 in the final minute of the game, Dotzler gave the ball back to SIU after he was forced toward the baseline with 35 seconds to go and stepped on the line.

"There was pressure," Creighton coach Dana Altman said. "They did a good job, but some of them were just unforced. We had our opportunities there, we just weren't tough enough to finish them."

SIU's amped-up ball pressure also brought the re-emergence of two Saluki seniors. Shaw led SIU for the second straight game with 16 points. Falker finished with seven points and seven rebounds in 33 minutes, but had two big blocks to aid the Salukis' defensive cause.

Lowery said he hoped his team could follow their lead Tuesday night against Evansville (6-13, 1-8). SIU became the first team in 43 tries to beat Altman when his team allowed 50 points or less.

"Those are the things that we always pride ourselves on, putting ourselves in position and controlling our own destiny," Lowery said. "Those are things that we have to get back to. We still need to control our own destiny by playing as hard as we can play, and not playing not to lose but playing those games to win. We did all the little things (Saturday) to win this basketball game."

todd.hefferman@thesouthern.com / 351-5087