ANAHEIM, Calif. – The Drake University men's
basketball team got a pair of 20-point performances from Ben Simons and Joey
King, but it wasn't enough to overcome a talented Xavier team as the Bulldogs
fell, 74-70, in their final game at the DIRECTV Classic Sunday morning.
Senior Ben Simons (Cadillac, Mich.) became the 23rd
player in Drake basketball history to pass the 1,000-point mark, with 20 points
to give him 1,009 career points. Joey King (Eagan, Minn.) was the
leading scorer for the Bulldogs (2-3), setting a career high with 21 points,
and was largely responsible for keeping Drake on Xavier's heels when the
Bulldogs faced an early deficit.
Senior Jordan Clarke (Rockville, Md.) recorded his
fourth consecutive double-double, adding 12 points and 11 rebounds for the Blue
and White. Clarke became the fifth player in tournament history to have
double-doubles in all three games, in addition to setting the tournament's
rebounding record with 39 boards in three games.
Xavier, which trailed 30-26 at halftime, used an 11-0 run
following the first media timeout in the second half to regain the lead, 44-36,
midway through the second half. Drake clawed back on multiple occasions in the
second half, but the Musketeers pulled away with a 6-0 run in the final four
minutes of the game that increased their lead to as many as 11 points.
“We went through a stretch in the second half that ended up
determining the game,” Drake head coach Mark Phelps said. “We couldn't score
and we couldn't keep them from scoring. Like all games against good teams, you
can't afford a stretch like that where you aren't getting it done on either end
of the court.”
The Musketeers shut down the Bulldogs' offense in the early
stages of the game to take a seven-point advantage, forcing Drake to take a
timeout less than five minutes into the game to regroup.
The early timeout worked as Drake put an 11-3 run together,
keyed by a trio of three-point baskets by King, to tie the game at 15. Drake
ended the half on a 7-0 run that lasted the final 3:17, to hold a 30-26
halftime lead.
Subpar shooting hampered Drake's offense with the Bulldogs
converting 37.5 percent (24 of-64) from the field. Drake shot 39.3 percent from
beyond the arc, with four three-point baskets coming in the final three minutes
of the game. Xavier (5-1), converted on 45.1 percent of its attempts from the
field and got to the free-throw line 16 more times than Drake.
Five Musketeers scored in double figures, led by Semaj
Christon who was responsible for a team-high 16 points in addition to seven
assists. Dee Davis added 15 points for the Musketeers.
The Blue and White will head to Reno, Nev., next for the
Mountain West/MVC Challenge matchup with the Nevada Wolf Pack. Tipoff is set
for 9 p.m. CST and can be heard on KRNT 1350 AM in Des Moines.
