DES MOINES, Iowa – Drake University senior Reed Timmer (New Berlin, Wis.) scored a game-high 22 points, but it wasn't enough as the Drake University men's basketball team fell to visiting SIU, 78-67, Thursday evening at the Knapp Center.
 
With the loss, Drake (12-12, 6-5 MVC) falls a game behind SIU (15-9, 7-4 MVC) in the Missouri Valley Conference standing as SIU takes sole possession of second place in the league.
 
"It was a hard-fought game and we played hard, but clearly didn't make enough plays," said Drake head coach Niko Medved. "I thought we were really careless with the ball in transition and tried to do a little too much at times. They made a few more plays than us down the stretch."
 
Timmer, who moved within 10 points of becoming Drake's all-time scoring leader Tuesday, was joined in scoring by Nick McGlynn (Stoughton, Wis.). McGlynn had his fifth double-double of the season with 12 points and 10 rebounds while De'Antae McMurray (Alton, Ill.), Ore Arogundade (Chicago, Ill.) and Graham Woodward (Edina, Minn.) each added nine points.
 
However, Drake was unable to overcome 17 turnovers and a 13-rebound deficit that allowed a bigger SIU squad to outscore the Bulldogs in the paint, 42-16. Aaron Cook led the Salukis with 18 points, including five of the Salukis' final 11 points, as the team shot 50.9 percent in its fourth-straight win.
 
Drake rallied from a halftime margin to tie the game at 67-67 with 4:19 left off a Timmer layup, but two turnovers and four missed shots in the next three minutes allowed SIU to close the game on an 11-0 run and escape the Knapp Center with the win.
 
"I thought we got a couple of good looks, but we tried to do too much sometimes and would get stops and turn it right back over," Medved said of the final stretch. "We had a couple plays right at the rim that we have to convert. We've got to take care of the ball and make plays."
 
The Bulldogs faced a 7-point, 39-32 deficit at halftime, but rallied to take the lead at 45-43 three minutes into the second half on an Arogundade three-pointer. From there, the lead changed hands nine times with six ties until Drake knotted it up for the final time at 67-67.
 
The Bulldogs continue their week Saturday when they complete the season series with Bradley. Drake visits the Braves' Carver Arena for a 7 p.m. tipoff on The Valley On ESPN3.