DES MOINES, Iowa– Alex Caldwell scored a season-high 18 points and buried a career-best six 3-pointers, and Southeast Missouri (3-6) went wire-to-wire in a close 78-73 loss to Drake (8-2) Saturday at the Knapp Center.
 
SEMO and Drake, which met for just the second time and first in 13 years, battled to nine ties and seven lead changes in their tight contest.
 
The Redhawks held an 11-point lead (52-41) with 17:16 remaining in the game when Drake came back to tie things up at 58-58 with 9:23 left to play.
 
It was no more than a two-possession game the rest of the way.
 
SEMO led by two points after Darrious Agnew made a layup at the 8:54 mark and Caldwell nailed a 3-pointer with just under eight minutes to go. 
 
Skyler Hogan then drilled a 3-pointer to regain a 73-72 edge for SEMO with 2:10 left to play.
 
Drake answered Hogan's shot by scoring the final six points en route to its victory.
 
SEMO had multiple chances in the last minute, but missed four field goals and three free throws in 54 seconds. Two of those misses came from 3-point range in the final 19 seconds, one of which would have given the Redhawks the lead and the other which would have tied the game.
 
The Redhawks put together a strong first half and led, 43-37, at the intermission.
 
Tolbert and Caldwell each had 12 of their points in the opening stanza, which saw SEMO shoot 53.8 percent (14-of-26) from the field and 54.5 percent (6-of-11) from downtown.
 
SEMO entered the game averaging under five 3-pointers made and buried a season-high 10 in 19 attempts against the Missouri Valley Conference's top defense.
 
Caldwell shot 6-of-11 from the field and 6-of-9 from beyond the arc. He also grabbed three rebounds and had an assist. 
 
Tolbert added a season-high 17 points and six rebounds, while Agnew chipped in 11 during his first career start. Hogan nearly had a double-double with nine points and a career-high 12 rebounds.
 
SEMO's 73 points were the most scored on the Bulldogs at the Knapp Center this season. Prior to tonight, no opponent had scored more than 59 points in five games on Drakes home floor.
 
Additionally, the Redhawks outrebounded the Bulldogs, 36-29.
 
Roman Penn scored 16 points to lead five Drake players in double figures.
 
SEMO will be off for final exams before resuming non-conference action at Youngstown State on Dec. 15.