12-1 Wichita State Next for Bulldogs

Drake Men's Basketball Weekly Update – Dec. 31

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Upcoming Events This Week

Competition

Wednesday, January 2 – vs. Wichita State (Des Moines, Iowa/Knapp Center) – 7:05 p.m.

Television: Metro Sports (Kansas City)

Radio: 1350 AM – KRNT

Promotions: Bankers Trust Trading Cards

Saturday, January 5 – vs. Missouri State (Des Moines, Iowa/Knapp Center) – 7:05 p.m.

Television: Mediacom MC22/ESPN3

Radio: 1350 AM – KRNT

Promotions: Bankers Trust Camper Reunion

Teleconferences

None

Coaches Shows/Luncheons

None

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This Week’s Opponents

Wichita State

Wichita State is 12-1 on this season and heads to Des Moines with three straight wins following the team’s lone loss at Tennessee. On Sunday, the Shockers opened MVC play with a convincing 66-41 win over UNI in Wichita. Defensively, WSU is only allowing 57.2 points per game and no team has reached the 70-point mark against WSU with opponents shooting just 38 percent from the field. Additionally, the Shockers have outrebounded opponents by an average of 12.8 boards per game. However, the team’s leading scorer and rebounder, Carl Hall (13.9 ppg/7.6 rpg) has not played the last three games as he recovers from a thumb injury. Cleanthony Early is the team’ top active scorer at 13.3 points per game.

The Series vs. Wichita State

Drake and Wichita State meet for the 142^nd time with WSU holding a 94-47 advantage in the series. Drake leads the series, 34-33, in games in Des Moines and 11-9 in the Knapp Center. The teams have split the last 10 meetings. The last meeting in Des Moines saw Drake prevail, 93-86, in triple overtime.

Missouri State

Missouri State is 3-10 this season but opened the conference season with a 70-59 win over Southern Illinois on Sunday to snap a seven-game losing skid and earn the team’s first win over a Division I opponent. The Bears also play at Evansville on Wednesday evening prior to traveling to Des Moines. Anthony Downing leads the Bears with 13 points per game for an offense that is scoring 58.4 points per game while shooting .385 from the field. Defensively, MSU is giving up 62.8 points per game while opponents are shooting 44.1 percent and outrebounding the Bears by more than five boards per game.

The Series vs. Missouri State

Saturday’s game is the 46^th between the two programs with Missouri State holding a 35-10 advantage in the series. The Bears have won seven of the last 10 games, including five straight over the Bulldogs.

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Last Week

Dec. 29  – at Bradley – L, 67-57

Cold shooting and turnovers combined to hamper the Drake University men’s basketball team in its Missouri Valley Conference opener as the team fell at Bradley Saturday evening, 67-57. Drake was second in the nation in three-point shooting coming into the game but managed just 18.5 percent (5-of-27) against a stingy Bradley defense that forced 18 Drake turnovers and scored 23 points as a result of Bulldog miscues. Ben Simons led Drake with a double-double thanks to 13 points and a career-high 10 rebounds while Seth VanDeest and Chris Hines added 10 and 11 points, respectively. Simons 10 boards helped contribute to the team’s season-high 46 rebounds with the Bulldogs holding a 12-rebound advantage over Bradley. The Braves were paced by Dyricus Simms-Edwards’ 20 points and eight steals while Walt Lemmon, Jr. added 23 points.

Team Notes

- The Bulldogs, who had scored 70 or more points in all previous 11 games, were held to a season-low 57 points in the loss at Bradley.

- Despite shooting a season-low 18.5 percent from three-point range, the Bulldogs remain among the most accurate three-point shooting teams in the nation at 41.0 percent to tie for sixth nationally and second in the MVC.

- Ben Simons hauled in a career-high 10 rebounds for his first career double-double. His performance is the seventh double-digit rebounding performance for the Bulldogs this season.

- As a team, Drake had a season-high 46 rebounds with 14 of them coming off the offensive glass, also a season-high.

- Jordan Clarke remains the MVC’s top rebounder at 8.7 per game.

- Drake’s 18 turnovers matched a season high as the team turned the ball over on 23.3 percent of its possessions.

- Seth VanDeest has scored in double figures in four straight games.

- Drake remains one of the top teams in the MVC at getting to the line with 23.8 attempts per game to rank second in the league.

- 61.7 percent of Drake’s baskets have come via assists, the third highest rate in the MVC and the 33^rd highest nationally.

Player Notes

0 – Kori Babineux – DNP – Coach’s Decision

1 – Jordan Clarke – Had eight rebounds, three offensive, with three points in 31 minutes. Is the MVC’s top rebounder at 8.7 per game.

2 – Gary Ricks, Jr.  – Scored seven points in 13 minutes. Averaging 6.3 points in the last three games.

3 – Richard Carter – Came off the bench to play 28 minutes and rack up a game-high five assists.

4 – Chris Hines – Was 3-of-6 from the three-point arc for 11 points with three rebounds. Is averaging 11.2 points in the last five games.

10 – Jeremy Jeffers – Was scoreless in one minute of action.

11 – Karl Madison  - DNP – Injury (Knee)

21 – Robert Puleikis – DNP – Coach’s Decision

22 – Micah Mason –  Was scoreless with three assists in 12 minutes.

23 – Mitch McLaughlin – DNP – Coach’s Decision

24 – Joey King – Had four points with four rebounds in just 14 minutes due to foul trouble.

25 – Matt Bowie – DNP – Coach’s Decision

34 – Ben Simons – Struggled from the field, but ended up with 13 points and a career-high 10 rebounds for his first double-double.

40  - Daddy Ugbede – Continued to contribute solid minutes with a career-high seven points and five rebounds in 17 minutes.

45 – Seth VanDeest – Had 10 points and seven rebounds for his fourth straight game in double figures.  Also added a pair of blocks in 17 minutes.

[This story was written for Ron Maly by Ty Patton, Drake's assistant athletic director for communications].

Drake's Poor Shooting, 18 Turnovers Costly In 67-57 Loss In Valley Opener

Cold shooting and turnovers combined to hamper the Drake's basketball team in its Missouri Valley Conference opener as the team in a 67-57 loss Saturday night at Bradley.

Drake (6-6 overall) was second in the nation in three-point shooting coming into the game, but managed just 18.5 percent (5-of-27) against a Bradley (9-4) defense that forced 18 Drake turnovers and scored 23 points as a result of Bulldog miscues.

“They got 13 steals and 18 turnovers and that’s really it,” Drake coach Mark Phelps said. “We didn’t shoot the ball well and turned the ball over. Give Bradley credit for that. That was really the game there – twenty-three points off our turnovers.”

Ben Simons (Cadillac, Mich.) led Drake with 13 points and a career-high 10 rebounds while Seth VanDeest (Bettendorf) and Chris Hines (Houston, Texas) added 10 and 11 points, respectively.

Simons 10 boards helped contribute to the team’s season-high 46 rebounds with the Bulldogs holding a 12-rebound advantage over Bradley.

“We rebounded well, and that’s a good sign,” Phelps said. “Hopefully that continues to trend for us.”

However, Drake shot an uncharacteristically low 33.9 percent (20-of-59) from the field.

“I thought it was a focus by Bradley, they did a good job of it,” Phelps said of Bradley’s defense. “We also missed some open shots. Certainly defense played a role in that and I think what happens is when you’re not knocking shots down, you’re not quite as comfortable and you get anxious.”

The Braves were paced by Dyricus Simms-Edwards’ 20 points and eight steals while Walt Lemmon, Jr. added 23 points.

Drake trailed by as many as nine points early in the first half before Daddy Ugbede (Gardena, Calif.) entered the game and scored five straight points followed by a pair of Simons free throws to put the Bulldogs up, 18-17, with 5:34 left in the half. Drake stayed within a possession for the remainder of the half before Bradley took a 29-27 lead into halftime. Ugbede finished with a career-high seven points and five rebounds in 17 minutes.

The Bulldogs appeared poised to come out gunning in the second half with a Hines three-pointer on the first possession. However, Bradley answered with a 14-1 run over the next three minutes to push its lead to 12 points. With just under nine minutes left in the contest, the Braves extended their lead to 18 points, 60-42. The Bulldogs clawed back via a 13-3 run capped by three-pointers from Simons and Hines to pull within eight points, 63-55, with 3:05 left in the contest. Unfortunately, the offense could continue that momentum as Drake converted on just one shot in the final three minutes while Bradley made enough free throws to keep the Bulldogs at bay.

The Bulldogs continue Valley play Wednesday  when they host Wichita State at the Knapp Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

[This story was written for Ron Maly by Ty Patton, Drake's assistant athletic director for communications].

It's a Happy Homecoming for Drake's Women Players from Wisconsin. Bulldogs Do It All In 80-70 Victory Over Milwaukee In Their Final Non-Conference Game

Four players scored in double figures for the Drake women’s basketball team in an 80-70 victory at Milwaukee Saturday. Kyndal Clark (Webb City, Mo.) paced Drake with 19 points to go along with four rebounds, four steals and a career-high six assists. Drake’s 80 points are a season-high. Drake (5-6) junior guard Alyssa Marschner (Plymouth, Minn.) scored a career-best 16 points and Morgan Reid (Kansas City, Mo.) and Stephanie Running (Oak Creek, Wis.) each had 10. Freshman Ashley Bartow (Sun Prairie, Wis.) came off the bench and pulled down a career-high 11 rebounds to lead all players and equaled her career-high in points with eight. Bartow and Running along with freshmen Dilonna Johnson (Milwaukee, Wis.) and Alexis Eckles (Milwaukee, Wis.) played in front of many friends and family in their home state Saturday. “We had a good warmup today,” Running said. “It’s awesome to go into conference with such a good win. All the young players got great experience against a solid team. It was really fun for all my family and friends along with the other Wisconsin girls’ friends and family to come out today and see us play.” Milwaukee (4-8) was led in scoring by Ashley Green who had a game-high 23 points, including 10 points by the first official timeout of the game and helped the Panthers take a 16-10 lead with 15:18 remaining in the half. Later the Bulldogs answered with an 8-0 run to go ahead. 25-20. and they never trailed again. Angela Rodriguez, a high school teammate of Running’s at Oak Creek High School, scored 22 points for the Panthers. “Such a team win today with four players in double figures and another with nine points and another with eight points,” Drake coach Jennie Baranczyk said. “We played within ourselves and didn’t panic when Milwaukee jumped out early with all those three pointers. We stuck to our game plan and it was a really fun and exciting game.” Drake used a 12-2 run that stretched nearly five minutes to build a 37-27 lead with 3:05 to play in the first half and went into halftime with a 37-29 lead. The Bulldogs shot 48.5 percent (16-of-33) from the floor in the opening period and finished the game at a season-high 51.6 percent (33-of-64) from the field. Mary Pat Specht (Shawnee, Kan.) buried a three-pointer from the right baseline to put Drake ahead 63-49 with 10:43 remaining in the game, its largest lead of the game. Milwaukee didn’t go away easily though and a jumper by Rodriguez cut Drake’s lead to 74-67 with 3:18 left and forced a 30-second timeout by Baranczyk. Out of the timeout, Clark answered with a layup to push Drake back ahead 76-67 and the Bulldogs cruised to the win. The Bulldogs’ next action will be their first Missouri Valley Conference game, which will be at Evansville on Thursday. “We have to see it one game at a time now that conference play is here,” Baranczyk said. “We don’t know any different being such a young team with 10 first- or second-year players, but what I love about our team is that we continue to get better every day.” [This story was written for Ron Maly by John Meyer of Drake's sports information staff].

First Valley Assignment for Bulldogs: Bradley On the Road

Drake Basketball at Bradley 

Game 12 • at Bradley • #DUvsBU

Dec. 29, 2012 •  7:05 p.m.

Peoria, Ill. • Carver Arena

Television                                                                   None                                                          

Radio                                                          KRNT 1350-AM

Play-by-play                                                     Larry Cotlar

Analyst                                                          Dolph Pulliam

Streaming Video                     www.BradleyBraves.com

           Drake                     Team                    Bradley

Des Moines      Location               Peoria, Ill.

        Bulldogs               Nickname                 Braves

             6-5               2012-13 Record               8-4

             0-0            Conference Record            0-0

           NA/NA                  Ranking                   NA/NA

     Mark Phelps          Head Coach           Geno Ford

        68-74/5th        Record at School        15-29/2nd

        68-74/5th           Career Record             134-98

             76.2                Points/Game                 71.2

             72.1            Opp. Points/Game            61.7

             +4.1              Scoring Margin               +9.6

             .465                       FG%                        .447

             .439                  Opp. FG%                   .398

             .435                      3FG%                       .274

             .312                 Opp. 3FG%                  .344

             .691                       FT%                        .722

             30.0             Rebounds/Game              35.6

             35.5        Opp. Rebounds/Game         36.2

             -5.5           Rebounding Margin           -0.7

             15.3                Assists/Game                14.3

             13.4             Turnovers/Game              12.0

             +1.9             Turnover Margin              +5.8

              6.3                  Steals/Game                 11.3

                2.2           Blocks/Game         2.9

• The Drake University men’s basketball team opens Missouri Valley Conference play Saturday night at Bradley.

• Drake begins conference play with a 6-5 record after defeating Eastern Illinois, 74-56, in its last outing before the holiday break.

• That game saw Micah Mason, in his second career start, explode for a career-high 19 points on 5-of-6 three-point shooting with six assists.

• The Bulldogs shot 59.1 percent from the three-point arc in the win and are second in the nation in three-point shooting at 43.5 percent.

• Bradley begins conference play at 8-4 after falling to Portland Sunday evening as part of the Continental Tire Las Vegas Classic.

• The Braves are 6-1 on their home court this season with the lone loss coming to a top-10 program in Michigan.

• Walt Lemon, Jr. and Tyshon Pickett lead the Braves with approximately 12.5 points per game each with Pickett adding 7.2 rebounds per game.

• Drake is averaging 76.2 points per game to rank 50th nationally in scoring.

• Ben Simons leads Drake with 15.2 points per game after hitting three three-pointers in the last game. The senior continues to move up the Drake career scoring ranks with 1,089 points to rank 16th.

• In head coach Mark Phelps’ five seasons on the Drake bench, the Bulldogs have shot a combined 37 percent from the three-point arc with an average of 7.5 three-pointers per game. All four of Phelps’ seasons rank in the top six for most three-pointers in a season at Drake.

A victory would ...

• Make Drake 7-5 on the season and 1-0 in the Missouri Valley Conference.

• Make the Bulldogs 3-4 away from campus this season and 2-1 in true road games.

• Be the team’s third straight.

• Make Mark Phelps 69-74 at Drake.

• Be the 1,156th in program history.

• Be Drake’s fourth straight in over Bradley.

• Make the Bulldogs 8-24 at Carver Arena.

A Loss would ...

• Drop Drake to 6-6 on the season and 0-1 in the Valley.

• Snap Drake’s three-game win streak over Bradley.

• Make Bradley 25-7 against the Bulldogs in Carver Arena.

[This story was written for Ron Maly by Ty Patton, Drake's assistant athletic director for communications].

Drake's Women Play At Milwaukee

DRAKE WOMEN (4-6) VS MILWAUKEE (4-7) SATURDAY, DEC. 29, 2012 I

KLOTSCHE CENTER (MILWAUKEE, WIS.) 3 p.m.

DRAKE QUICKLY

-Drake (4-6) plays its final women's non-conference basketball game when it travels to Milwaukee, Wis. to face the Milwaukee Panthers Saturday afternoon.
-The Bulldogs are coming off a 61-55 victory over the St. Louis on Friday, Dec. 21 at the Knapp Center. Three Bulldogs scored in double figures,  led by junior Morgan Reid (Kansas City, Mo.) who had 13 points and two rebounds while Carly Grenfell (York, Neb.) scored 12 points and pulled down a team-high six boards and Kyndal Clark (Webb City, Mo.) added 10 points.
-Clark leads Drake with 13.3 points per game, which ranks 13th in the Missouri Valley Conference and is averaging 2.0 three pointers made per game.
-Reid is the other Bulldog averaging in double figures as the forward scores 11.1 points per game while pulling down a team-leading 7.6 rebounds per game.
-Drake is averaging 63.7 points per game, which is five points (58.6) more per game than it did a year ago at this point.
-Drake is shooting 72.4 percent (134-of-185) from the free throw line so far this season, which is over five percent better than last season at this point. The Bulldogs rank third in the Valley in free throw shooting.
-The Bulldogs have four Wisconsin natives on their roster led by senior Stephanie Running (Oak Creek, Wis.) and freshmen Ashley Bartow (Sun Prairie), Alexis Eckles (Milwaukee) and Dilonna Johnson (Milwaukee).
-After Saturday’s game the Bulldogs will start league play at Evansville on Thursday  at 7 p.m.

MILWAUKEE QUICKLY

-Milwaukee (4-7) will try to end its five-game losing streak.
-The Panthers are led by first-year coach Kyle Rechliz, who was hired from the University of Wisconsin where she was a standout player from 1998-2002. Rechliz spent one season as an assistant coach at Wisconsin after spending the four previous seasons at Dayton.
-Milwaukee was tabbed to finish seventh in the preseason Horizon League poll by the league’s coaches, sports information directors and media members.
-This season junior guard Angela Rodriguez is the Panthers leading scorer at 15.0 points per game while senior forward Sami Tucker averages 12.6 points per game and a team-high 6.2 rebounds per game.
-UWM is hitting at a 37.8 percent clip (99-for-262) from long distance so far to lead the Horizon
League. To rank that nationally, UWM finds itself an impressive 11th in the country in 3-point field goal percentage (in last NCAA stats update) and second in 3’s made per game (9.4, with leader at 10.0).
-Drake and Milwaukee have four common opponents this season (Chicago State, Bradley, Illinois State and North Dakota State). The Panthers defeated Chicago State and Bradley and lost to Illinois State and North Dakota State. The victory over Bradley was a double overtime thriller, 116-112, that saw the Panthers shatter many school records including most points in a game.
-Saturday’s game will be just the third at home for the Panthers this season.

[This story was written for Ron Maly by John Meyer of Drake's sports information staff].

Drake Starts Valley Season Saturday At Bradley

Drake Men's Basketball Weekly Update – Dec. 23

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Upcoming Events This Week

Competition

Saturday, Dec. 29  – at Bradley  – Peoria, Ill. (Carver Arena)  – 7 p.m. CST

Television: None

Radio: 1350 AM - KRNT

Teleconferences

None

Coaches Shows/Luncheons

None

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This Week’s Opponents

Bradley

Drake opens the Missouri Valley Conference season Saturday at Bradley. The Braves are 8-4 after falling to Portland Sunday as part of the Continental Tire Las Vegas Classic. The Braves are 6-1 on their home court this season with the lone loss coming to a top-10 program in Michigan. Walt Lemon, Jr. and Tyshon Pickett lead the Braves with approximately 12.5 points per game each with Pickett adding 7.2 rebounds per game. The team’s only other losses have come on the road at South Florida and a double-overtime loss to Virginia Tech in Las Vegas Saturday. Bradley has struggled from the three-point arc, converting on just 27.7 percent of its attemps, but the team holds a +5.2 advantage in turnover margin.

The Series vs. Bradley

Drake and Bradley meet for the 133^rd time with Bradley holding a 79-53 advantage in the series and a 24-7 record in Carver Arena. The teams have split the last 10 meetings and Drake head coach Mark Phelps is 5-5 against the Braves and has won three-straight games in the series.

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Last Week

Dec. 19  – vs. North Carolina Central – W, 72-69

Seth VanDeest led Drake for the second straight game with 19 points to help the Drake men’s basketball team edge North Carolina Central, 72-69. During the final eight minutes, neither team led by more than four points as the Bulldogs and Eagles went basket-for-basket before Ben Simons hit a three pointer with 2:47 left in the game to put Drake up, 66-65. Simons finished with 16 points and four three-pointers. NCCU answered with a free throw to briefly tie the game before the Bulldogs went to VanDeest for back-to-back layups in the paint to take a four-point, 70-66, lead with 47 seconds left. The junior from Bettendorf, Iowa, was 6-of-9 from the field and 7-of-8 from the free throw line.

Dec. 22  – vs. Eastern Illinois – W, 74-56

Hot shooting and a career-high 19 points by freshman Micah Mason helped the Drake men’s basketball team defeat Eastern Illinois, 74-56. Drake shot 56.1 percent from the field while connecting on 13-of-22 from behind the three-point arc and 15-of-18 from the free throw line. Mason knocked down a career-high five three-pointers to go along with a career-high six assists in his second start. Drake led for the majority of the first half and took a 33-26 lead into halftime courtesy of a 9-0 run to close the half as the Panthers’ methodical offense dictated the tempo of the game.  However, the Bulldogs asserted control of that tempo in the second half as Mason made a three-pointer 25 seconds into the half and later added a layup as Drake built its lead to 38-26. The Panthers ended their scoreless streak after Alex Austin made a free throw at the 17:13 mark to account for five scoreless minutes for EIU.

Team Notes

- Drake went 2-0 on the week to finish the bulk of its non-conference season with a 6-5 record thanks to wins over North Carolina Central and Eastern Illinois.

- The Bulldogs outscored its opponents by an average of more than 10 points on the week as the offense averaged 73 points per game on the week and remains one of just four teams in the nation that has scored 70 or more points in every game this season.

- The Bulldogs are the second most accurate three-point shooting team in the nation, converting on 43.5 percent of their three-point attempts with 9.5 three-pointers per game.

- In the win over Eastern Illinois, Drake shot 59.1 percent (13-of-22) from three-point range, its second highest percentage of the season.

- Of the top five three-point shooting performances in the MVC this season, Drake owns two of them with the showing against Eastern Illinois and a 62.5 percent performance in the season opener against William Jewell.

- Drake had approximately 60 possessions in the win over EIU, its slowest pace of the season.

- However, the Bulldogs matched a season high by scoring 1.24 points per possession.

- Drake’s effective field goal percentage of 72 percent (factoring in the added value of the three-point shot) was the 20^th best performance in a game between two Division I opponents this season.

- Defensively, EIU’s 56 points were the fewest by a Drake opponent this season.

- Junior Seth VanDeest’s offensive production has started to pick up as he’s averaged 15.7 points on 18-of-24 (.750) shooting from the field and 91.7 percent shooting for the free-throw line.

- Jordan Clarke missed the EIU game with a knee injury, but still leads the MVC in rebounding at 8.8 rebounds per game.

- Ben Simons scored 30 points on the week and moved into 16^th in career scoring at Drake with 1,089 points.

MVC Player of the Week Nominee

Seth VanDeest

C – 6-11 - 269

Sr. – Bettendorf, Iowa

Scored a season-high 19 points in the win over North Carolina Central included back-to-back baskets in the final two minutes to secure the win. Was 6-of-9 from the field and 7-of-8 from the free-throw line in the win. Added his third straight double-figure game with 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting and added two assists, two steals and three blocks against EIU.

MVC Newcomer of the Week Nominee

Micah Mason

G – 6-2 – 173

Fr. – Allegheny, Pa.

Exploded in his second career start for 19 points on 5-of-6 shooting from the three-point arc and 7-of-8 from the field against Eastern Illinois. Also added a career-high six assists in the win. Scored the first five points of the second half to help Drake build an early second half cushion. Is now second in the MVC in three-point field goal percentage at 52.9 percent..

Player Notes

0 – Kori Babineux – Scored two points on the week in eight minutes.

1 – Jordan Clarke – Played 16 minutes against NCCU with four points and three rebounds before leaving the contest with a knee injury … missed the EIU game while recovering.

2 – Gary Ricks, Jr.  – Scored 12 points on 4-of-5 shooting from the three-point arc on the week.

3 – Richard Carter – Came off the bench to score 13 points with five assists in the win over NCCU. Added two points in 11 minutes against EIU.

4 – Chris Hines – Scored 13 points on the week and was 3-of-6 from the three-point line with 11 points coming in 21 minutes against EIU.

10 – Jeremy Jeffers – Scored two points on the week.

11 – Karl Madison  - DNP – Injury (Knee)

21 – Robert Puleikis – DNP – Coach’s Decision

22 – Micah Mason –  Made his first two career starts during the week and responded with a career-high 19 points on 5-of-6 shooting from the arc with six assists against EIU.

23 – Mitch McLaughlin – Missed the NCCU game but dressed for the first time since the season opener after suffering a hand injury and played two minutes.

24 – Joey King – Had a career-high 10 rebounds in the win over NCCU with five points and three assists in his first career start. Added two points, three boards and two assists against EIU.

25 – Matt Bowie – Played two minutes at the conclusion of the EIU game.

34 – Ben Simons – Continued his steady play with 16 points against NCCU and 14 points against EIU. Shot 40.9 percent from the field and 46.7 percent from the three-point arc.

40  - Daddy Ugbede – Continued to contribute solid minutes with four points and three rebounds against NCCU and four points and two assists in the EIU contest.

45 – Seth VanDeest – Scored a season-high 19 points including back-to-back baskets in the final 1:30 of the win over NCCU to put Drake ahead for good. Shot 71.4 percent from the field and 90 percent from the free throw line.

[This story was written for Ron Maly by Ty Patton, Drake's assistant athletic director for communications].

19 Points By Freshman Micah Mason Spur Drake, 74-56

Hot shooting and a career-high 19 points by freshman Micah Mason  of Allegheny, Pa., helped Drake’s basketball team defeat Eastern Illinois, 74-56, at the Knapp Center Saturday afternoon.

Drake (6-5) shot 56.1 percent (23-of-41) from the field while connecting on 13-of-22 from behind the three-point arc (59.1 percent) and 15-of-18 (83.3 percent) from the free throw line. Mason knocked down a career-high five three-pointers to go along with a career-high six assists in his second start. Eastern Illinois (3-10) was led by Sherman Blanford with 18 points and seven rebounds.

“I’m really happy with the way we played,” Drake coach Mark Phelps said. “I thought our intensity was really good at times. As we continue to put together 40 minutes of basketball, we have the potential to be good. We continue to play well on the offensive end and we need to keep concentrating on the defensive end.”

Ben Simons (Cadillac, Mich.) scored 14 points and grabbed four rebounds while Seth VanDeest (Bettendorf) had 10 points and three rebounds. Chris Hines (Houston) was the other Bulldog in double figures with 11 points. The Bulldogs were without the Missouri Valley Conference’s rebounding leader as senior Jordan Clarke (Rockville, Md.) missed the game with an injury.

Drake led for the majority of the first half and took a 33-26 lead into halftime courtesy of a 9-0 run to close the half as the Panthers’ methodical offense dictated the tempo of the game.

However, the Bulldogs asserted control of that tempo in the second half as Mason made a three-pointer 25 seconds into the half and later added a layup as Drake built its lead to 38-26. The Panthers ended their scoreless streak after Alex Austin made a free throw at the 17:13 mark to account for five scoreless minutes for EIU.

“I thought we had a nice flurry there, especially in transition,” Phelps said. “Micah hit a three and then found Gary [Ricks] for two threes. We just ask him [Mason] to be aggressive, but play the right way.”

The Panthers battled back to cut Drake’s lead to 47-39 after Austin Akers made a three-pointer, but Simons answered with his third three-pointer of the day to push Drake’s lead to 50-39 with 13:27 remaining. The Bulldogs used a 13-2 scoring run over the next four minutes to take its lead to 63-41 with 8:34 left to go in the game. A layup by Jeremy Jeffers (Wilson, N.C.) gave Drake its largest lead of the game at 24 points, 73-49, with 3:35 remaining and allowed Phelps to empty his bench.

The Bulldogs opened the game hot with 12 points in the first 2:30 and took a 19-14 lead at the second media timeout of the first half behind six points each from Simons and VanDeest.

Out of the media timeout Drake was held scoreless for nearly five minutes and fell behind, 26-24, before a pair of Bulldog freshmen stepped up with much needed points on consecutive possessions. Joey King (Egan, Minn.), who started in place of Clarke, made two free throws and Mason connected on a three-pointer from the right baseline to help Drake take a 29-26 lead. Simons added a jumper and pair of free throws to give the Bulldogs a 33-26 lead at the break. Drake’s tough defense kept the Panthers scoreless for the final four minutes of the first half.

Drake will break for the holiday and will start Missouri Valley Conference action at Bradley on Dec. 29 at 7 p.m.

“It’s always nice to get a win before the break and go into the holidays on a good note,” Phelps said. “The conference season gets started in a week and there’s many, many challenges for us. Every game is going to be a battle and I think our non-conference schedule has prepared us for the Valley.”

[ This story was written for Ron Maly by Ty Patton, Drake's assistant athletic director for communications].

Dollar Day Gathering Of 1,920 Watches Baranczyk's Bulldogs Get Past St. Louis and ExDrake Coaches Lisa Stione and Amy Stephens, 61-55, At Knapp Center

A strong defensive effort combined with 13 points from Morgan Reid (Kansas City, Mo.) and seven assists from Alyssa Marschner (Plymouth, Minn.) helped Drake's women's basketball team defeat St.  Louis, 61-55, at the Knapp Center Friday.

 It was a matchup of present and former Drake coaches. St. Louis coach Lisa Stone is a former Drake head coach, and her top assistant, Amy Stephens, preceded present Drake coach Jennie Baranczyk as the Bulldogs' coach. Stephens left the Bulldogs' job last spring.


The game, which began at 5:05 p.m., drew a  crowd of 1,920 on Dollar Day at the arena. Fans were admitted for $1, and concessions cost $1 in an early Christmas gift to fans. 

" I really saw something from our team today,"  Baranczyk said. "I saw a lot of improvement in our players, particularly in Alyssa [Marschner] and Morgan [Reid].

The Drake (4-6) defense forced 22 St. Louis (5-7)  turnovers while converting at a 46.9 percent clip on the offensive end.

After trailing at halftime, 25-22, the Bulldogs opened the last half with  a 13-3 run, capped by back-to-back-to-back three-pointers from Kyndal Clark (Webb City, Mo.), Carly Grenfell (York, Neb.) and Mary Pat Specht (Shawnee, Kan.) to take a 35-28 lead   Grenfell and Clark finished with 12 and 10 points, respectively, with Clark adding four assists and three steals.

"The biggest thing we stressed at halftime was to control what we could control,"  Baranczyk said. "We had to control the tempo and if can do that we can win games."

St. Louis countered with a 9-2 spurt over the next four minutes to tie the game before the Bulldogs, energized by the crowd, reasserted that tempo and quickly extended its lead back to five points on a three-pointer from Clark and a layup for Reid.

"The last eight minutes of the game, we really stepped it up and played great team basketball," Baranczyk said.

While the Drake offense continued to score points, the defense was the star of the second half by holding St. Louis to just 41.4 percent shooting and 25 percent from the three-point arc.

Drake put itself in position for the victory with just under 3 minutes to play on a beautifully-executed and uncontested layup from Reid off of Marschner's seventh assist of the night.

Drake will take a break for the holidays and will play next at Milwaukee at 3 p.m. Dec,. 29. 

[This story was written for Ron Maly by John Meyer of Drake's sports information staff].

Another Spoonhour Coaches At the Knapp Center

Drake Men’s Basketball vs. Eastern Illinois Game Notes

 Game 11 • vs. Eastern Illinois • #DUvsEIU

Dec. 22, 2012 •  2:05 p.m.

Des Moines, Iowa • Knapp Center

           Drake                     Team             Eastern Illinois

Des Moines        Location           Charleston, Ill.

        Bulldogs               Nickname               Panthers

             5-5               2012-13 Record               3-9

             0-0            Conference Record            0-0

           NA/NA                  Ranking                   NA/NA

     Mark Phelps          Head Coach       Jay Spoonhour

        67-74/5th        Record at School           3-9/1st

        67-74/5th           Career Record          109-42/5th

             76.4                Points/Game                 56.1

             73.7            Opp. Points/Game            62.3

             +2.7              Scoring Margin               -6.2

             .458                       FG%                        .411

             .438                  Opp. FG%                   .465

             .419                      3FG%                       .342

             .308                 Opp. 3FG%                  .346

             .681                       FT%                        .592

             31.1             Rebounds/Game              28.5

             36.5        Opp. Rebounds/Game         31.9

             -5.4           Rebounding Margin           -3.4

             15.1                Assists/Game                12.8

             13.3             Turnovers/Game              13.8

             +1.6             Turnover Margin              +0.7

              6.2                  Steals/Game                  7.4

                1.9           Blocks/Game         1.6

Television                                                                   None                                                                              

Radio                                                          KRNT 1350-AM

Play-by-play                                                     Larry Cotlar

Analyst                                                          Dolph Pulliam

Streaming Video               www.GoDrakeBulldogs.com

• The Drake University men’s basketball team plays its final home game of 2012 today when it hosts Eastern Illinois in the first meeting between the two programs.

• Drake wraps up its homestand after defeating North Carolina Central on Wednesday evening, 72-69.

• Seth VanDeest led the Bulldogs in the win with a season-high 19 points and a back-to-back baskets in the final minute to preserve the win. VanDeest is averaging 18.5 points on 14-of-19 shooting in the last two games.

• Eastern Illinois, a member of the Ohio Valley Conference, is 3-9 after falling to St. Louis on Wednesday evening. The Panthers are in their first season under coach Jay Spoonhour. He is the son of the late Charlie Spoonhour, a legendary coach whose stops included Southeastern Community College in Burlington, Missouri State of the Missouri Valley Conference and St. Louis. After his retirement as a coach, Charlie Spoonhour was an analyst for Missouri Valley Conference telecasts, and among the stops he made in that job was the Knapp Center. 

• The Panthers average 56.1 points per game and are led by Josh Piper’s 11.5 points per game.

• Drake is averaging 76.4 points per game to rank in the top 50 nationally in scoring.

• Ben Simons leads Drake with 15.3 points per game after hitting four three-pointers in Wednesday’s win. The senior continues to move up the Drake career scoring ranks with 1,075 points to rank 19th.

• As a team, the Bulldogs average 9.1 three-pointers per game, the fifth most in the nation and are converting on 41.9 percent of its three-point attempts, the third highest rate in the nation.

• In head coach Mark Phelps’ five seasons on the Drake bench, the Bulldogs have shot a combined 37 percent from the three-point arc with an average of 7.5 three-pointers per game. All four of Phelps’ seasons rank in the top six for most three-pointers in a season at Drake.

A victory would ...

• Make Drake 6-5 on the season and 6-5 through the bulk of the non-conference season.

• Make the Bulldogs 4-1 in the Knapp Center this season.

• Be the team’s second straight win.

• Make Mark Phelps 68-74 at Drake.

• Be the 1,155th in program history.

• Make Drake 1-0 against the Panthers.

 A Loss would ...

• Drop Drake to 5-6 on the season and 3-2 at the Knapp Center

• Give Drake two losses in its last four home games.

• Make the Panthers 1-0 against Drake.

[This story was written for Ron Maly by Ty Patton, Drake's assistant athletic director for communications; contributions by Maly]

VanDeest Leads Drake To 72-69 Victory Over N.C. Central Before 2,388 Fans At Knapp Center

Seth VanDeest led Drake for the second straight game with 19 points to help the Drake basketball team edge North Carolina Central, 72-69, Wednesday night at the Knapp Center.

During the final eight minutes, neither team led by more than four points as the Bulldogs (5-5) and Eagles (5-6) went basket-for-basket before Ben Simons (Cadillac, Mich.) hit a three pointer with 2:47 left in the game to put Drake up, 66-65. Simons finished with 16 points and four three-pointers.

NCCU answered with a free throw to briefly tie the game before the Bulldogs went to VanDeest for back-to-back layups in the paint to take a four-point, 70-66, lead with 47 seconds left. The junior from Bettendorf was 6-of-9 from the field and 7-of-8 from the free throw line.

The game drew a crowd of 2,388 at the Knapp Center on a stormy night.

“I think a big objective for us is getting the ball in to Seth,” Drake coach Mark Phelps said of the final minutes. “We don’t do a great job of looking for him for 40 minutes. The goal is to make sure he gets a look and we’re getting better at that.”

The Eagles didn’t succumb to the 4-0 Drake run as Stanton Kidd drained a three-pointer on NCCU’s next possession to finish with a game-high 23 points. Defending the in-bound pass, NCCU forced a jump ball to retain possession, but missed its attempt to take the lead with 16 seconds left with the rebound falling into Joey King’s (Egan, Minn.) hands for his career-high 10^th board of the evening. Out of a Drake timeout, Richard Carter (Detroit, Mich.) was fouled and calmly drained both shots to give Drake a three-point, 72-69, cushion with 11 seconds left. Carter scored 13 points with five assists on the evening.

“He did a terrific job, he had an assist on an under-the-basket play and hit two big free throws,” Phelps said of Carter’s game. “I thought his defensive intensity really picked up in the second half and was a big part of us being better on defense in the second half.”

The Eagles got two attempts at a game-winning three-pointer, but both tries were off the mark to preserve the Drake win.

In addition to Kidd’s 23 points, Jeremy Ingram also added 23 points for the Eagles in the losing effort as the Drake defense clamped down to only allow 40 percent shooting in the second half after a 58.3 percent performance in the first stanza.

The Bulldogs converted on 50 percent of their attempts but were a blistering 47.6 percent (10-of-21) from three-point range. Four of those 10 makes came during a two-minute stretch early in the first half that gave Drake a 12-point lead and allowed the team to take a 41-37 lead into the locker room.

Drake remains at home to host Eastern Illinois on Saturday afternoon at 2:05 p.m. in the Knapp Center in the first meeting between the two programs.

 [This story was written for Ron Maly by Ty Patton, Drake's assistant athletic director for communications].

Drake Plays North Carolina Central, Eastern Illinois

Drake Men's Basketball Weekly Update – Dec. 16

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Upcoming Events This Week

Competition

Wednesday, Dec. 19  – North Carolina Central – Des Moines, Iowa (Knapp Center)  – 7:05  p.m. CST

Television: Mediacom MC22

Radio: 1350 AM - KRNT

Saturday, Dec. 22  – Eastern Illinois – Des Moines, Iowa (Knapp Center)  – 2:05  p.m. CST

Television: None

Radio: 1350 AM – KRNT

Teleconferences

Monday, Dec. 17 – MVC Teleconference – 11 a.m. CST

The Missouri Valley Conference men’s basketball coaches teleconference starts at approximately 11 a.m. CST with Drake head coach Mark Phelps scheduled to join the call at 11:06 a.m. CST. For dial-in information to the teleconference, please contact the MVC office.

Coaches Shows/Luncheons

Monday, Dec. 17 – Drake Basketball Coaches’ Show – Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery (West Des Moines) – 7 p.m. CST

The Drake Basketball Coaches’ show returns to the air on KRNT 1350-AM and originating live from Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery (4508 University Avenue, West Des Moines) at 7 p.m. Women’s head coach Jennie Baranczyk leads off the program. Men’s head coach Mark Phelps joins the discussion at approximately 7:30 p.m.

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This Week’s Opponents

North Carolina Central

North Carolina Central travels to Des Moines for its first game after a 15-day break. The Eagles, who hail from Durham, N.C., are 5-5 on the season and had won two of their last three games. In its last outing, NCCU fell at home to Eastern Kentucky by a 63-57 margin. Drake is the second MVC team the Eagles have faced this season as they opened up the season with a 71-57 loss at Wichita State. The squad is paced by a trio of consistent scorers in Jeremy Ingram, Ray Willis and Stanton Kidd who are all averaging just shy of 14 points per  game. As a team, NCCU is averaging 67.7 points per game while holding its opponents to 58.1 points per game on 40.3 percent shooting.

The Series vs. NC Central

Wednesday’s game is the third between the two programs with the previous two coming in Des Moines in 2007 and 2008. Drake won both of the those meetings handily with an 85-48 win on Nov. 30, 2007 and an 89-46 win on Dec. 6. NCCU was in the process of reclassifying from NCAA Division II to Division I during those seasons.

Eastern Illinois

Eastern Illinois started its season with a 3-8 overall record to date with the Panthers visiting Saint Louis on Wednesday evening prior to playing at Drake on Saturday. The team has lost four straight games after falling to Toledo, 67-59, in its last outing. EIU is averaging just 57.1 points per game on 40.9 percent shooting. They share a single common opponent with Drake as the Panthers earned a 68-67 win over IPFW on Nov. 18 in a neutral-site game in Ypsilanti, Mich. EIU opened its season against a MVC foe, falling 76-53 at Bradley on Nov. 9. Josh Piper is the Panthers top scorer at 12.1 points per game on 47.3 percent shooting and 45.8 percent from behind the arc with more than half of his shots coming from three-point range.

The Series vs. Eastern Illinois

Saturday’s game will be the first between the two programs.

---

Last Week

Dec. 15  – vs. Iowa State, L 86-77

Despite a season-high 18 points from Seth VanDeest, rebounding and foul trouble allowed Iowa State to pull away from the Drake University men’s basketball team for an 86-77 win in the Big Four Classic Saturday afternoon at Wells Fargo Arena. Each of Drake’s (4-5) top regular contributors in redshirt senior Jordan Clarke, senior Ben Simons and VanDeest found themselves’ in foul trouble early and saw limited minutes in the first half, playing just 10 combined minutes. Despite just playing five minutes in the first half, VanDeest and Simons exploded in the second half as Simons finished with 13 points to complement VanDeest’s 18. Senior Chris Hines also recorded 13 points for Drake.

Team Notes

- Drake came into the game as one of the nation’s top three-point shooting teams and was limited to a season-low six free-throws. Drake’s defense was equally disruptive for Iowa State as the Cyclones hit just four three-pointers despite averaging 9.6 per game prior to the contest.

- However, the Bulldogs are shooting 41.3 percent from the arc, the seventh highest percentage in the nation.

- Against Iowa State, Drake’s top three scorers (Simons, VanDeest, Hines) were a combined 57.1 percent from the floor (16-of-28). As a team, Drake shot 43.5 percent, but 57.7 percent in the second half.

- Drake’s 77 points were its most in a loss since scoring 81 points in an 82-81 loss to Weber State on Nov. 27, 2010 in the Great Alaska Shootout.

- Drake committed 31 fouls in the loss, the 17^th most in a Division I game this season.

- Drake had approximately 81 possessions in the contest, its second most of the season and its second game this year with 80 or more possessions. On the season, Drake is averaging 73.9 possessions per game, the 31^st most in the nation and the fastest pace in the MVC.

- Drake converted on 81 percent of its 21 free throws, its second highest percentage of the season.

- Jordan Clarke continues to lead Drake in rebounding with 9.4 per game, the most in the MVC and the 40^th most nationally.

MVC Player of the Week Nominee

Seth VanDeest

C – 6-11 - 269

Sr. – Bettendorf, Iowa

Scored a season-high 18 points on 8-of-10 shooting and 2-of-2 from the free-throw line. He also added four rebounds a steal and drew two charges … in the second half, he was 7-of-8 from the floor as Drake played ISU even in points in the paint.

MVC Newcomer of the Week Nominee

Chris Hines

G – 6-0 – 185

Sr. – Houston, Texas

Scored 13 points against ISU with 10 of them coming in the second half … was 4-of-10 from the field and 2-of-5 from the three-point arc … added two assists and three steals.

Player Notes

0 – Kori Babineux – DNP – Coach’s decision

1 – Jordan Clarke – Scored five points with a team-high seven rebounds … is leading the MVC in rebounding.

2 – Gary Ricks, Jr.  – Was scoreless in 18 minutes.

3 – Richard Carter – Finished with nine points and was a perfect 5-of-5 from the free-throw line … added four assists.

4 – Chris Hines – Scored 13 points with a pair of three-pointers and added a team-high three steals.

10 – Jeremy Jeffers – Did not score in 11 minutes.

11 – Karl Madison  - DNP – Injury (Knee)

21 – Robert Puleikis – DNP – Injury (Concussion)

22 – Micah Mason – Played significant moments at point guard and recorded four assist to one turnover in 19 minutes with seven points.

23 – Mitch McLaughlin – DNP – Injury (Hand)

24 – Joey King – Made a pair of three-pointers to finish with six points before fouling out.

25 – Matt Bowie – DNP – Coach’s decision

34 – Ben Simons – Scored 13 points in 24 minutes with four assists and five rebounds … only played five minutes in the first half due to foul troubles.

40  - Daddy Ugbede – Was pressed into significant minutes and finished with five points and three rebounds, both career highs.

45 – Seth VanDeest – Scored a season-high 18 points on 8-of-10 shooting with four rebounds.

[This story was written for Ron Maly by Ty Patton, Drake's assistant athletic director for communications].

Drake Vs. North Carolina Central

Game 10 • Drake vs. North Carolina Central

Dec. 19, 2012 •  7:05 p.m.

Des Moines • Knapp Center

           Drake                     Team            N.C.Central

Des Moines      Location            Durham, N.C.

        Bulldogs               Nickname                 Eagles

             4-5               2012-13 Record               5-5

             0-0            Conference Record            0-0

           NA/NA                  Ranking                   NA/NA

     Mark Phelps          Head Coach         LeVelle Moton

        66-74/5th        Record at School         44-57/4th

        66-74/5th           Career Record           44-57/4th

             76.9                Points/Game                 67.7

             74.2            Opp. Points/Game            58.1

             +2.7              Scoring Margin               +9.6

             .454                       FG%                        .439

             .433                  Opp. FG%                   .403

             .413                      3FG%                       .304

             .305                 Opp. 3FG%                  .297

             .674                       FT%                        .750

             31.6             Rebounds/Game              33.2

             37.1        Opp. Rebounds/Game         31.5

             -5.6           Rebounding Margin          +17.7

             14.9                Assists/Game                13.8

             13.4             Turnovers/Game              15.1

             +1.8             Turnover Margin              +3.1

              4.7                  Steals/Game                  5.7

                2.3           Blocks/Game         2.7

Television                                                Mediacom MC22

Play-by-play                                                  Larry Morgan

Analyst                                                 Adam Emmenekcer

Radio                                                          KRNT 1350-AM

Play-by-play                                                     Larry Cotlar

Analyst                                                          Dolph Pulliam

Streaming Video               www.GoDrakeBulldogs.com

• Drake's  basketball returns to campus for its next to last non-conference game prior to the start of the conference season against North Carolina Central University.

• The Bulldogs enter Wednesday’s game with a 4-5 record after falling, 86-77, to Iowa State on Saturday. The Eagles are 5-5 on the season and will be playing their first game in 15 days.

• In the loss to ISU, Seth VanDeest scored a season-high 18 points on 8-of-10 shooting while Chris Hines and Ben Simons added 13 points each.

• Drake is averaging a stout 76.9 points per game this season, nearly 10 points more per game than it did a season ago at this point.

• Offensively, the team remains one of the best three-point shooting teams in the nation with nine three-pointers per game on 43.1 percent shooting, the seventh highest percentage in the nation.

• Jordan Clarke leads Drake and the Missouri Valley in rebounding with 9.4 rebounds per game. The senior has four double-doubles and 10 or more rebounds in 5-of-9 games this season. Nearly 35 percent of his rebounds have come off the offensive glass.

• The Eagles are paced by three scorers in Jeremy Ingram, Ray Willis and Stanton Kidd who are all averaging just under 14 points per game.

• Defensively, NCCU is holding opponents to 58.1 points per game, the 34th best average in the nation.

• Ben Simons leads Drake with 15.2 points per game and has converted on 38.7 percent of his team-high 62 three-point attempts. The senior recently surpassed the 1,000-point mark for his career and currently has 1,059 career points.

A victory would ...

• Make Drake 5-5 on the season.

• Make the Bulldogs 3-1 in the Knapp Center this season.

• Be the team’s third straight over North Carolina Central and make Mark Phelps 2-0 against the Eagles.

• Make Mark Phelps 67-74 at Drake.

• Be the 1,154th  in program history.

A Loss would ...

• Drop Drake to 4-6 on the season and 2-2 at the Knapp Center

• Be North Carolina Central’s first win the series in three tries.

• Give Drake two losses in its last three home games.

From the Arc ...

• Drake shot below 40 percent from the three-point arc for just the second and third time this season with a 39.1 percent effort against IPFW and a 30 percent showing against Iowa State.

• Despite the pair of subpar performances, the Bulldogs remain one of the top three-point shooting teams in the nation, ranking sixth in three-pointers per game (9.0) and seventh in three-point percentage (.413).

• Drake also ranks second and first in the MVC in both categories, respectively.

• Individually, Ben Simons leads the team with 2.67 three-pointers per game, the 60th most in the nation.

• Three-point shooting has been a hallmark of Drake teams under head coach Mark Phelps with the Bulldogs averaging 7.5 three-pointers per game on 37.2 percent shooting during Phelps’ seasons at the helm of the squad.

• Of the top six seasons for three-pointers made, four have come during Phelps’ tenure.

• A summary of each team’s three-point shooting over the past five seasons.

Season          3pt./G                3pt. pct.

2012-13            9.0              413 (81-146)

2011-12            6.2             .362 (212-585)

2010-11            6.5             .354 (203-573)

2009-10            8.6             .381 (284-746)

2008-09            8.1             .348 (266-765)

Defending the Three

• As prolific as Drake has been scoring from the three-point arc, the team has been equally successful in keeping its opponents from scoring via three-pointers.

• Iowa State came into the game against Drake averaging 9.6 three-pointers per game and was limited to just four three-pointers on 21.1 percent shooting.

• The Bulldogs’ opponents are averaging 5.7 three-pointers per game on 30.5 percent shooting.

[This story was written for Ron Maly by Ty Patton, Drake's assistant athletic director for communications].