Drake Bulldogs vs Southern Illinois Salukis
| 1 | 2 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|
SIU | 25 | 28 | 53 |
DRKE | 36 | 34 | 70 |
Howard scores 21 off the bench, Drake defeats Southern Illinois 70-53 in MVC Tournament
ST. LOUIS -- — Isaia Howard helped lead top-seeded Drake over eighth-seeded Southern Illinois on Friday with a career-high 21 points off of the bench in a 70-53 victory in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament.
The Bulldogs advance to the quarterfinals on Saturday to play the winner of Illinois State-Belmont on Saturday.
Howard added six steals for the Bulldogs (28-3). Bennett Stirtz scored 15 points while shooting 5 for 12 (1 for 6 from 3-point range) and 4 of 4 from the free-throw line and added five rebounds and five assists. Cam Manyawu had 11 points and shot 4 of 5 from the field and 3 of 5 from the free-throw line.
Ali Abdou Dibba led the way for the Salukis (14-19) with 19 points. Drew Steffe added 11 points for Southern Illinois. Kennard Davis had 10 points.
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Game Information
St. Louis, MO
Referee:Kelly Self
Referee:Gene Grimshaw
Referee:Marques Pettigrew
2025-26 Standings
| Missouri Valley Conference | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Murray State | 7-0 | - | 15-3 |
| Belmont | 6-2 | 1.5 | 16-3 |
| Bradley | 6-2 | 1.5 | 13-6 |
| Illinois State | 4-3 | 3 | 12-6 |
| Northern Iowa | 4-3 | 3 | 12-6 |
| Drake | 3-4 | 4 | 9-9 |
| UIC | 3-4 | 4 | 8-10 |
| Indiana State | 2-5 | 5 | 9-9 |
| Southern Illinois | 2-5 | 5 | 8-10 |
| Valparaiso | 2-5 | 5 | 8-10 |
| Evansville | 1-7 | 6.5 | 5-14 |
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