CARBONDALE, Ill. – Drake’s Liam Robbins recorded his third double-double of the season with 17 points and 10 rebounds Sunday afternoon at SIU. However, it wasn’t enough to stall a second-half surge by SIU in a 66-49 loss for the Drake University men’s basketball team at the Banterra Center.
Robbins’ performance was his 11th-straight double-figure scoring performance and came on 6-of-12 shooting. He also added a block to move into sole possession of fifth on Drake’s all-time single-season blocks list.
Drake (13-6, 3-3 MVC) also got 10 points from Anthony Murphy and another six-assist night performance from Roman Penn.
SIU improved to 8-1 on its home court behind 18 points from both Barret Benson and Eric McGill. McGill scored 12 of his points from beyond the three-point arc as SIU converted on eight three-pointers.
The Bulldogs came into the game having shot 48 percent or better in seven straight games but were held to 36 percent shooting by the Salukis.
“We [Drake] weren’t shooting it well and some of it was settling for shots and some were misses,” said Drake head coach Darian DeVries. “We have to do a better job of getting in position to get post touches, get in the paint and get to the rim. Ultimately we played around the perimeter a lot, and that had a lot to do with Southern’s defense taking us out of what we like to do.”
Penn opened the second half with a three-pointer for the Bulldogs that started a 5-0 run and forced SIU to take a timeout 2:09 into the half. Drake held SIU without a field goal for the first five minutes of the second half to draw as close at three points at 33-30. However, whatever corner it felt the Bulldogs had turned was false.
SIU answered with a 21-2 run to let the Salukis roll out to a 54-32 lead with 11 minutes left in the half. That run included back-to-back McGill three-pointers to bring the crowd of more than 4,300 to a frenzied level of energy.
“I thought we came out of the locker room to start the second half with more purpose,” DeVries said. They hit us with a run and it got away from us. They had a great game plan and executed it.
SIU maintained a cushion of 19 or more points until the waning seconds of the contest to give Drake its fifth road loss of the season.
Drake clawed back early in the second half after facing an early deficit to open the game. Midway through the first half, Drake went more than eight minutes without a field goal to trail 25-12. With 7:20 left in the period, Wilkins slashed to the basket to end the drought and scored five-straight points that were part of an 8-0 run to pull back within single digits.
Drake’s defense held SIU to just six points over the final seven minutes of the half, but could not fully jump-start its offense and trailed 31-23 at halftime. Robbins and Murphy combined to score 16 of the Bulldogs’ 23 first-half points.
The Bulldogs remain on the road to travel to Evansville for their next contest. Tipoff against the Aces is scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 22, at 6 p.m. on ESPN+.
TEAM NOTES
- Drake was held to 36 percent shooting, the first time in the last eight games the Bulldogs have not shot 48 percent or better.
- The final 17-point margin was the biggest final deficit against an MVC foe this season and just the fourth double-digit loss by the Bulldogs in the last two seasons of Valley action.
- SIU held a one-rebound, 34-33, advantage on the glass. The rebounding deficit was just the third Drake has faced in league play this season.
- Drake scored 26 points in the paint and is averaging 39.3 points per game in the paint in the last three games.
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
- With a dunk two minutes into the second half, Liam Robbins hit double-digits in scoring for the 11th-straight game. He finished for 17 points and 10 rebounds for his third double-double of the season.
- During that 11-game span, Robbins is shooting 72-of-127 and 65-of-106 inside the arc.
- With a block early in the second half, Liam Robbins earned his 50th block of the season to move into sole possession of fourth place on Drake’s single-season blocks list. Former teammate Nick McGlynn’s 53 blocks last season are currently third on the list.
- Anthony Murphy scored in double-figures for the 12th time this season and hauled in five rebounds. He has had five or more rebounds in four-straight games.
- Roman Penn recorded six or more assists in a game for the 13th time this season.
- Samm Jones saw 11 minutes of action, his most against Division I competition this season and recorded his second career block.
SERIES NOTES
- Drake falls to 35-59 all-time against SIU and 12-34 in Carbondale.
- The loss snapped a two-game win streak for Drake in the series. Drake has won four of the last six meetings.
