DES MOINES, IOWA ? Senior guard Leonard Houston scored 18 points, including 10 in the first half, to pace a balanced attack, as Drake rolled to its third straight victory with an 85-48 nonconference romp past North Carolina Central in the opening round of the Iowa Realty Invitational Friday night.

Drake will play undefeated Duquesne (6-0) in the championship game which will tip off at 7:37 p.m. Saturday. The Dukes handed Cal State Northridge its first loss, 97-74, in the other first-round game.

It will mark the first time the schools have played since Drake dropped a 48-26 decision Dec. 31, 1934 at Duquesne.

Houston scored Drake's first seven points as the Bulldogs raced to a 7-0 lead and were never threatened.

Sophomore guard Josh Young scored seven straight points in a 23-second span to expand Drake's lead to 26-7 with 9:16 left in the game.

Young finished with 13 points as Drake had five players score in double figures for the second straight game.

Junior forward Brent Heemskerk came off the bench to add 12 points, while junior forwards Jonathan Cox and Alex White chipped in with 10 points apiece.

Drake, which improved to 4-1, has won both of its home games by 35 or more points including a 92-55 home opening win past Cornell (Iowa) College Nov. 14.

The Bulldogs forced North Carolina Central into 26 turnovers, converting those miscues into 38 points.

Drake also had 14 steals marking the fourth time in five games that it had reached double figures in that category.

Drake, which leads the Missouri Valley Conference in three-point shooting, hit 11 treys with Houston collecting three three-point baskets.

Drake outrebounded North Carolina Central, 43-34, with Hemskeerk, White, Houston, Cox and Klayton Korver grabbing five apiece.