Southern Illinois senior Jeff Early has been suspended one game by the Missouri Valley Conference for his part in an altercation during Wednesday's game against Northern Iowa.

Midway through the second half, the guard was called for a Flagrant 2 foul when he got tangled up with Panther player Jake Koch. Early was ejected from the game, and the Saluki's lost 58-45.

Southern Illinois coach Barry Hinson said he did not see the play but had this comment after the game:

"I think there were two culprits, but the second guy gets caught," Hinson said.

The suspension will have him missing Sunday's contest against Creighton, an important game as the Bluejays are suddenly on a two-game league losing streak.

Early has been one of the bright spots in the Saluki season. He is second on the team in scoring at 12.7 points per game, and is the leading rebounder with 7.5 boards per contest.