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DES MOINES, IA - February 5: The Drake Bulldogs play against the Bradley Braves during a Missouri Valley Conference men basketball game at Knapp Center on Wednesday, February 5, 2020 in Des Moines, Iowa. (Photo by Dylan Heuer)
73
Drake DRA 16-9,6-6 MVC
83
Winner UNI UNI 21-3,10-2 MVC
Drake DRA
16-9,6-6 MVC
73
Final
83
UNI UNI
21-3,10-2 MVC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Drake DRA 39 34 73
UNI UNI 35 48 83

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | Drake Athletic Communications

Men’s Basketball Falls In Final Minutes At UNI, 83-73

Robbins leads the Bulldogs with 17 points

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa - Four Bulldogs scored in double-figures and the Drake University men's basketball team shot 50 percent but could not overcome a 34-point performance from UNI's A.J. Green in an 83-73 loss at UNI Saturday evening.

Green was 6-of-9 from the three-point arc to help UNI close the game on a 20-5 run that outpaced the Bulldogs at a sold-out McLeod Center.

"I thought we played with good composure and did not settle," said Drake head coach Darian DeVries. "But it was hard to keep up trading twos for threes. At the end of the day, it was a great college basketball and a great environment."

Liam Robbins led Drake (16-9, 6-6 MVC) with 17 points, six rebounds and three blocks while D.J. Wilkins matched a season-high with four three-pointers to finish with 16 points. Roman Penn added a 12-point, 8-assist night and Anthony Murphy chipped in 15 points and seven rebounds. 

In addition to Green's 34 points, UNI (21-3, 10-2 MVC) got 18 points from Trae Berhow as the Panthers shot 57.9 percent from three-point range.

Drake held a 68-63 lead with 5:26 left to play before Green scored eight-straight points to flip the lead with 3:29 left. UNI extended that lead to eight points, 76-68, with 1:36 left on a Spencer Haldeman three-pointer that gave the Panthers enough of a cushion to hold on for the win.

"We were in a good spot there, and then A.J. took over," DeVries said. "He was sensational tonight. He put it on his shoulders and got them going. That was the difference-maker in the game."

Green scored eight of his points in the first four minutes of the second half and added a jumper with 14:20 left to put UNI on top 51-50 and energize the sold-out McLeod Center crowd and help erase Drake's first-half lead. 

The Bulldogs opened the game with back-to-back three-pointers from Jonah Jackson and Wilkins to help roll out to an 8-0 lead early in the contest. UNI slowly recovered for that early deficit and used seven-straight points in less than two minutes to take a 22-21 lead with less than eight minutes left in the half. 

Five lead changes followed in the next four minutes until the Bulldogs closed the half with five makes on six attempts and held UNI scoreless for the final 1:40 of the half to earn a 39-35 lead at halftime. Drake's 39 first-half points were its most in the McLeod Center. 

Robbins scored 13 of his points in the opening half as the Bulldogs shot 57 percent over the first 20 minutes. Drake finished the game at 50 percent, its highest shooting percentage in a loss this season. Drake also committed just six turnovers, its second-fewest of the season.

Drake returns to action Wednesday night when it closes the season series with Missouri State in Springfield, Mo. The Bulldogs have won five-straight games against the Bears.
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