Southern Illinois University
6-6, 0-1MVC
Drake
6-6, 1-0MVC
Drake drops Men's Basketball, 69-55, in MVC opener
12/29/2010 | 12:00:00 | Men's Basketball
Dec. 29, 2010
By Tom Weber
SIUSalukis.com
DES MOINES, Iowa - In a game that featured more turnovers than baskets, Drake beat Southern Illinois, 69-55, on Wednesday in the Missouri Valley Conference opener for both teams.
The Salukis (6-6, 0-1) played without leading scorer and rebounder Gene Teague. The sophomore center sprained an ankle in practice on Monday and his status going forward is uncertain. His teammates failed to pick up the slack against the Bulldogs (6-6, 1-0).
Drake's superior guard-play was the deciding factor in the game. The Bulldogs spread the floor on offense and let guards such as Ryan Wedel and Rayvonte Rice create their own offense. Wedel hit daggers from 3-point range, converting 4-of-7 from behind the arc, while Rice attacked the basket and did most of his damage in the paint or at the free throw line. Both players finished with 16 points.
In sum, the Bulldogs' guards out-scored Southern's back court, 50-26.
"They completely dominated us," admitted SIU head coach Chris Lowery. "We blew some defensive assignments. We didn't guard it the way we practiced. Sometimes, we were just late and they made shots."
Compounding Southern's woes was an offense that was stuck in neutral for much of the first half.
After SIU jumped out to a 5-3 lead to start the game, it went scoreless for the next eight minutes. During that span, the Salukis missed nine-straight shots and committed five turnovers.
"We took some bad shots in the first half, rushed and weren't patient," Lowery said.
Southern committed 20 turnovers for the fourth time this season, as every starter had at least two giveaways. What frustrated Lowery most was the randomness of the miscues. There were travel calls, balls dribbled off of feet and out of bounds.
"They weren't pressuring us," Lowery said. "We were throwing the ball into crowds. We were dribbling into crowds, trying to make plays that weren't there."
Without Teague, SIU tried to establish senior forward Carlton Fay in the post. Fay delivered 14 points, but was only 4-of-16 from the field as his shooting woes this season continued.
Forward Mamadou Seck one of the few effective weapons at Lowery's disposal. He scored 15 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in 37 minutes. Guard Justin Bocot had 17 points to lead Southern, but he was 5-of-15 shooting from the field.
Southern's offense has revolved around Teague all season, and it lacked cohesiveness without him.
"They are a completely different team without Teague in there," said Drake head coach Mark Phelps. "You have to prepare for a true center with great size and scoring ability. It's not the 11 or 12 points or eight or nine rebounds, but the things he creates for his teammates."
While SIU shot 32 percent from the field, Drake's offense was only marginally better. It turned the ball over 19 times while shooting 41 percent. The difference was in Drake's 3-point shooting (9-of-18) and ability to get to the free throw line (22-27).
"It certainly wasn't a beautiful game," Phelps said. "But I thought we did a pretty good job on the defensive end."
