Drake’s Katie Dinnebier set the tone early in the game.
After the Bulldogs won the opening tipoff and Dinnebier hit a three within the first 13 seconds of the game, it was clear SIU was going to have their work cut out for them to stay with Drake.
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The Salukis were unable to. Long stretches of dormancy on the offensive end of the floor combined with an efficient day from Drake’s offense led the Dawgs to a 93-66 loss.
Despite briefly exiting with an ankle injury, Isabella Palmqvist led the Salukis in both minutes and points. Her 20 points, which included going 3-5 from three point range, were a career-high, and she moved into the top 10 in SIU history for three-pointers made as a freshman with 27.
Fellow freshman Mia Gaines also had a career-high in points, as the center scored 13 in only 12 minutes of action.
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Gift Uchenna had an uncharacteristically inefficient day from the field, shooting only 2-11, though she did go 6-8 from the free throw line. Uchenna also played only 25 minutes, as she found herself in foul trouble early in the third quarter.
As has been the trend for much of the season, the Salukis struggled offensively. They shot only 35.1% from the floor, and 27.8% from three. Drake on the other hand shot 43.5% from the floor, and a scorching 18-42 on threes. The 54 points solely from three-point range were the most an opponent had racked up against SIU all season.
Drake aired it out early and often; in the first quarter alone, they went 5-13 from beyond the arc and found themselves up 21-10. The Bulldogs really opened it up in the second though; they shot a red-hot 7-11 from three point land, and though SIU scored 19 in the quarter, Drake carried a 47-30 lead into the break.
Drake continued to dominate SIU’s defense in the third, when they put up 27 points in the frame. The Salukis were able to hold Drake to only 18 in the fourth quarter, but themselves were unable to score more than 13 points. Including a nearly 5-minute scoreless streak.
The Salukis (3-13, 1-7 MVC) will be back in action on Jan. 31 at 6:30 p.m. when they play the Redbirds of Illinois State in Bloomington, IL.
Sports reporter Ryan Grieser can be reached at [email protected]. To stay up to date on all your southern Illinois news, be sure to follow The Daily Egyptian on Facebook.
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