Tuesday, February 12
Carbondale, Ill.
7 p.m.
Southern Illinois University
13-13, 6-7MVC
69
vs
72
Drake
19-7, 8-5MVC
1
2
F
Drake University
42
30
72
Southern Illinois
35
34
69
Drake holds off SIU, 72-69
02/12/2019 | 10:29:00 | Men's Basketball
CARBONDALE, Ill. - Drake held off a late push from the Southern Illinois men's basketball team to take a 72-69 win at SIU Arena on Tuesday night. SIU trailed by six points with just over a minute remaining and got within a point, but the Bulldogs made a pair of free throws and did not allow SIU to get a shot off in the final seconds to secure the win.Â
"I think you have to give hats off to Drake. They did a great job," SIU head coach Barry Hinson said. "They beat us tonight. I don't feel like we lost this game; I felt like they beat us. Their guards were really good tonight."
Drake (19-7, 8-5 MVC) led for nearly the entire game and took a 12-point lead midway through the first half. SIU (13-13, 6-7 MVC) stayed within striking distance thanks to Armon Fletcher (21 points) and Kavion Pippen (19 points), who combined for 40 points, 14 rebounds, and 5 assists.
"Our bigs did what they had to do. Our bigs played extremely well," Hinson said. "I thought our guards played well at times; we just struggled to make shots tonight. We struggled to make shots at the basket."
Defensively, SIU made a push in the game's final 10 minutes, holding the high-powered Drake offense to just one point in a five-minute stretch under the 10-minute mark. Trailing by 11, the Salukis went on a 9-1 run to get within three points with two-and-a-half minutes remaining.Â
"When we got down 11, we roared back. We did everything we could do to get back in the ballgame," Hinson said.
After SIU got withing three, Drake guard DJ Wilkins immediately responded with a three-point play to get the Bulldog lead back to two possessions. Wilkins finished with 20 points on 7-of-11 shooting for Drake. Brady Ellingson played all 40 minutes for Drake and added 17 points, and Nick McGlynn added 10 points and a game-high 13 rebounds to lead Drake to the road win.Â
After Wilkins three-point play, neither team scored until Armon Fletcher's put-back with under a minute remaining. SIU got a stop and an Aaron Cook basket to get within 68-66 with 24 seconds left. Ellingson made both ensuing free throws, which might have saved the game for Drake, because Marcus Bartley followed with a trailing 3-pointer to get SIU within 70-69 with 10 seconds left. Wilkins got fouled and made both with 7 seconds left, and SIU was unable to get a shot up before the buzzer.Â
Drake improved to 7-2 since starting league play 1-3 and has vaulted itself into second place in the tightly contested Missouri Valley Conference race. The Bulldogs are a half-game ahead of Illinois State and Missouri State for second place. The Salukis came into the game winners of three of their last four, but Drake secured the season sweep of SIU.Â
"We're going to challenge our guys to get better; we're going to challenge our guys to get the best and highest seed possible (at Arch Madness); and we're going to challenge our guys: let's go win that tournament," Hinson said. "And you know what? There are nine other coaches giving that same speech."
Southern Illinois hits the road to face Indiana State on Saturday at 11 a.m. CT. The Salukis are going for the season sweep of the Sycamores after an 88-73 win at SIU Arena early this season.
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"I think you have to give hats off to Drake. They did a great job," SIU head coach Barry Hinson said. "They beat us tonight. I don't feel like we lost this game; I felt like they beat us. Their guards were really good tonight."
Drake (19-7, 8-5 MVC) led for nearly the entire game and took a 12-point lead midway through the first half. SIU (13-13, 6-7 MVC) stayed within striking distance thanks to Armon Fletcher (21 points) and Kavion Pippen (19 points), who combined for 40 points, 14 rebounds, and 5 assists.
"Our bigs did what they had to do. Our bigs played extremely well," Hinson said. "I thought our guards played well at times; we just struggled to make shots tonight. We struggled to make shots at the basket."
Defensively, SIU made a push in the game's final 10 minutes, holding the high-powered Drake offense to just one point in a five-minute stretch under the 10-minute mark. Trailing by 11, the Salukis went on a 9-1 run to get within three points with two-and-a-half minutes remaining.Â
"When we got down 11, we roared back. We did everything we could do to get back in the ballgame," Hinson said.
After SIU got withing three, Drake guard DJ Wilkins immediately responded with a three-point play to get the Bulldog lead back to two possessions. Wilkins finished with 20 points on 7-of-11 shooting for Drake. Brady Ellingson played all 40 minutes for Drake and added 17 points, and Nick McGlynn added 10 points and a game-high 13 rebounds to lead Drake to the road win.Â
After Wilkins three-point play, neither team scored until Armon Fletcher's put-back with under a minute remaining. SIU got a stop and an Aaron Cook basket to get within 68-66 with 24 seconds left. Ellingson made both ensuing free throws, which might have saved the game for Drake, because Marcus Bartley followed with a trailing 3-pointer to get SIU within 70-69 with 10 seconds left. Wilkins got fouled and made both with 7 seconds left, and SIU was unable to get a shot up before the buzzer.Â
Drake improved to 7-2 since starting league play 1-3 and has vaulted itself into second place in the tightly contested Missouri Valley Conference race. The Bulldogs are a half-game ahead of Illinois State and Missouri State for second place. The Salukis came into the game winners of three of their last four, but Drake secured the season sweep of SIU.Â
"We're going to challenge our guys to get better; we're going to challenge our guys to get the best and highest seed possible (at Arch Madness); and we're going to challenge our guys: let's go win that tournament," Hinson said. "And you know what? There are nine other coaches giving that same speech."
Southern Illinois hits the road to face Indiana State on Saturday at 11 a.m. CT. The Salukis are going for the season sweep of the Sycamores after an 88-73 win at SIU Arena early this season.
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Team Stats
DU
SIU
FG%
.464
.438
3FG%
.368
.333
FT%
.813
.571
RB
41
30
TO
13
6
STL
3
7
Game Leaders
Pts
21
FGM
8
3FGM
2
FTM
3
Pts
19
FGM
9
3FGM
0
FTM
1
Pts
8
FGM
2
3FGM
0
FTM
4
Pts
8
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
G
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