Southern Illinois University
12-5,4-2MVC
Drake
14-3,5-1MVC
Recap | Salukis Unable to Slow Down Drake; Six-Game Streak Snapped Against Bulldogs
01/13/2024 | 9:50:00 | Men's Basketball
CARBONDALE, Ill. – Southern Illinois could not slow down Drake as the Bulldogs left Banterra Center with a 76-58 victory Saturday night. With the loss, the Salukis saw its six-game winning streak come to an end as SIU fell to 12-5 overall and 4-2 in Missouri Valley Conference action.
"Give Drake a ton of credit tonight, they were the better team -- we're disappointed with the result," head coach Bryan Mullins said after the game. "We had a great crowd, a great atmosphere in there, and I wish we would have allowed the crowd to make a difference for us today. There is a lot to take away and we have to get better and get ready for Bradley on Wednesday."
Reigning MVC Player of the Year Tucker DeVries scored a game-high 34 points for the Bulldogs while Atin Wright and Kevin Overton added 10 apiece. Drake was able to win the battle on the glass 35-26 as Darnell Brodie had a game-high 12 rebounds to go with six points.
Xavier Johnson scored the first basket of the game for the Salukis on a banked-in triple, but Drake (14-3, 5-1 MVC) regained the lead quickly and did not let go of it again in the first half, building an 11-point lead going into the locker room. The Bulldogs were dominant in the paint, outscoring Southern Illinois 26-6 in the opening 20 minutes.
DeVries put up 14 points in the first half to lead all scorers as he was able to score from mid range with his post-game while also picking up a couple of backdoor cuts for easy baskets. Brodie was able to work in the post for the Bulldogs, scoring six on three attempts while leading DU with six rebounds.
With Drake leading 15-6 with 13:10 on the clock in the first half, Troy D'Amico and Johnson connected on back-to-back 3-pointers before AJ Ferguson hit a pair of free throws during the run to pull SIU to within three points.
Drake would answer SIU's run to close the gap with a 9-4 run to end the half with DeVries scoring seven during the stretch.
The Bulldogs continued to score at a high level, extending their lead to as many as 23 in the second half before the Salukis were able to get the offense going and close the gap to 12 points with just over six minutes remaining.
"A lot of their baskets were just too easy -- we put them on the free throw line early in the game," Mullins said. "We have to be able to come out with a better mindset and a better approach to start the game. I think we let our offense affect our defense a little bit because we were missing some shots in the first half, but we have to be able to respond and come out in the second half much better than we did."
Drake would crank up their defense in the final five minutes, allowing just four points and one field goal to the Salukis to close out the contest.
Johnson led the Salukis with 19 points and five assists while playing with four fouls for much of the second half. Ferguson was the only other Saluki to score in double figures with 10 points.
SIU struggled from the field shooting just 37 percent (19-52). Drake finished the game shooting 56 percent (31-55).
It was all Bulldogs near the basket as DU outscored the Salukis 40-20 in the paint while also running in transition with a 12-2 advantage on the fast break.
UP NEXT
The Salukis play host to Bradley next Wednesday. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. from Banterra Center. Tickets can be purchased online by clicking HERE. Fans can also call 877-SALUKIS or visit the SIU Ticket Office during normal business hours.
FOLLOW THE SALUKIS
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