EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – SIUE's bench provided 75 points Monday as the men's basketball Cougars overpowered Greenville 97-61 in exhibition play.

"Overall, I thought our effort was pretty good," SIUE Head Coach Lennox Forrester said. "It's the first game so guys are going to have some jitters so we were sloppy at some times.  But I thought we played well as a team offensively."

A crowd of 1,307 at the Vadalabene Center got their first look at the 2013-14 Cougars and left with all smiles.

Keaton Jackson, a junior transfer, exploded for 23 points off 11-of-15 shooting. Maurice Wiltz added 20 points in 20 minutes played.

In all, five SIUE players scored in double figures. Grant Fiorentinos, Christian Salecich, and Rozell Nunn each scored 10 points for the Cougars.

"We told our guys to not worry about starting," Forrester added. "The guys on the bench will have to be ready to go because I want a well-balanced team.  We're better from top to bottom from a talent standpoint, and our job is to use all 11 guys in our rotation."

The Cougars left little doubt who would be the victor after taking a 45-22 lead at halftime.

Alex Mumphard finished with 17 points leading three Greenville players in double figures. Mumphard was 3 of 10 from the floor but 10-12 from the free throw line. Tim Daniel added 16 points and Jamal Daniels scored 10.

For the game, the Cougars shot 56.9 percent (41-72) from the field. SIUE finished with 24 assists compared to just eight turnovers.

The Cougars begin the regular season Friday at Arkansas. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m. in Fayetteville, Ark.

"There is a lot of room to grow on the defensive side of the ball," Forrester said. "We only have a few practices before we play Arkansas, and we have to get better quickly from a defensive standpoint."