Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Men's Hoops Downs Drake, 79-64
01/24/2002 | 12:00:00 | Men's Basketball
Jan 24, 2002
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - Kent Williams scored 18 points and Southern Illinois led all the way in beating Drake 79-64 Thursday night for its ninth victory in 10 games.
Rolan Roberts had 14 points for the Salukis (17-3, 7-1 Missouri Valley Conference), who picked off two cross-court passes in jumping to a 7-0 lead and turned back Drake's only threat in the second half.
Drake (8-10, 3-5) made 10 of its first 15 shots in the second half to slice away at a 21-point lead. Lonnie Randolph converted a four-point play when he was fouled making a 3-pointer to cut the lead to 55-43, and David Newman's 3 left Drake trailing 61-53 with 9:42 left.
But the Bulldogs went more than six minutes before making another basket, and Southern Illinois went on a 13-2 run to regain control, Williams capping the burst with a 3-pointer to make it 74-55 with 5:55 remaining.
Andry Sola led Drake with 13 points and Randolph scored 12. Drake learned 90 minutes before tipoff that starting forward J.J. Sola would be academically ineligible for the rest of the season. Sola was averaging 11.8 points and 4.2 rebounds.
Luke McDonald, Drake's leading scorer with an 18.4 average, was held to a season-low five points on 2-for-11 shooting.
Marcus Belcher and Roberts scored after Southern Illinois' two early steals and Belcher followed with a 3-pointer. The Salukis made five of their first six shots from 3-point range in building a 23-11 lead, and they led 42-23 at halftime.
Quick baskets by Roberts and Williams, who was 8-for-13 from the field, boosted the lead to 46-25 early in the second half.
Belcher finished with 11 points and Darren Brooks scored 10.
