Southern Illinois University’s men’s basketball team overcame an early deficit to defeat Drake 66-61 on Wednesday night in Des Moines. Damien Mayo Jr. matched his career highs with 22 points and five three-pointers, helping the Salukis recover after trailing by as many as 13 points in the first half.
Drake led 31-18 midway through the opening period before Southern Illinois responded with an 11-0 run, including two three-pointers from Mayo. He made four shots from beyond the arc in the first half alone.
“That run was huge,” said Quel’Ron House. “He came out of the huddle, and he said, ‘Give me the ball, find me in transition,’ so I’m going in transition, I’m finding him.”
Southern Illinois carried its momentum into the second half and took its first lead at 45-44 with a left-corner three-pointer from Mayo at the 13:19 mark. Both teams struggled offensively over the final ten minutes, but Southern Illinois’ defense proved effective. The Salukis forced three turnovers in the last four minutes while Drake missed several free throws, converting only six of thirteen attempts for the game.
Drake had an opportunity to tie late, down 64-61 with 31 seconds remaining. Jalen Quinn missed a jumper and after Andrew Alia grabbed an offensive rebound, House secured a steal to clinch Southern Illinois’ third consecutive road win and their first victory at Drake since February 1, 2020.
Drake finished shooting just 40 percent from the field and 28 percent from three-point range against Southern Illinois’ defense.
“In the second half, much more energy defensively,” Head Coach Scott Nagy said. “Offensively, you know we really weren’t good the whole game, but good enough to win.”
The Salukis are part of Southern Illinois University and compete at the NCAA Division I level within the Missouri Valley Conference. The program is based in Carbondale, Illinois and hosts home games at Banterra Center (official website).
Southern Illinois will continue its road trip on Saturday when it faces UNI in Cedar Falls. Tipoff is scheduled for 5 p.m.
