The Salukis reportedly had 800-plus fans spread around Scottrade Center for the opening game of the 20th Missouri Valley Conference post-season tournament in St. Louis last night. They didn’t see anything that several thousand other SIU fans sitting at home hadn’t seen already this season. Several times as a matter of fact.
It’s incredible. It’s hard to believe. It defies the law of averages.
For the umpteenth time this season, the Salukis had a game in their grasp. They were in firm control at least a couple of times during the game which they eventually lost to a hustling Drake club, 63-61.
It was a game of runs.
The Salukis got off to a strong start, leading 15-5, then 22-11 before the Bulldogs scored 14 of the last 19 points in the first half to trail by only two, 27-25 at halftime. We liked the stats. The Salukis were hitting .43 percent of their shots, Drake only 30 and the game had all the earmarks of being an SIU payback for having lost twice to the Bulldogs during regular-season play.
After Drake’s Ryan Wedel, the game’s eventual leading scorer with 19 points, hit a pair of threes to open the second half and give the Bulldogs their first lead at 31-29, the Salukis answered with 10 points in a row to make it 39-31 and one could feel that this was going to be the night when SIU reversed its late collapses which resulted in an eventual 15-15 season.
Displaying a lot of hustle and despite some missed opportunities at the free throw line and close-in, the Salukis were still in total control, 51-41, with 8:41 to play.
That’s when the Bulldogs took advantage of every Saluki error. Drake scored 13 points in a row to set the stage for the inevitable.
After deadlocks at 57-all and 61-all, thanks to a rebound bucket by Gene Teague with :35 seconds to go, the Bulldogs had ball possession and all-conference team member Josh Young delivered the crushing blow, a somewhat off-balance 12-foot jumper for the win.
The bottom stats line told the story. Drake, although out-rebounded 40-26, was 10-of-25 from 3-point range and hit 11-of-15 free throws. SIU was 1-of-9 and 10-of-21 in the same categories. That was the difference.
EARLIER HAPPENINGS
There were few surprises at the Valley’s “Coach of the Year” luncheon earlier in the day. UNI’s Ben Jacobson received the honor for the second year in a row and deservedly so. We personally thought Wichita State’s boss man, Gregg Marshall, might have a shot at the coveted title for having guided the Shockers to their unexpected lofty second-place finish in final standings. However, it didn’t happen and Jacobson became the first back-to-back winner since Creighton’s Dana Altman repeated in 2002.
