IOWA CITY, IOWA ? Sophomore guard Josh Young scored 14 points to pace a balanced scoring attack as the Drake men's basketball team won its eighth straight game with a 56-51 victory at Iowa Friday night.

The Bulldogs improved to 9-1 to match the best start in school history held by four other teams including most recently the 1979-80 squad.

Drake snapped a 20-game road losing streak at Iowa, while earning its first victory in Iowa City since a 74- 65 triumph Dec. 16, 1967 and it also marked the first time the Bulldogs had won back-to-back games against Iowa since 1967-68.

Junior forward Jonathan Cox, the leading rebounder in the Missouri Valley Conference, enjoyed a league high fifth double-double of the season with 10 points and a game-high 10 rebounds.

Senior forward Klayton Korver and senior guard Leonard Houston also netted 10 points apiece for the Bulldogs.

Houston scored five points during a 14-2 run late in the game that turned a 39-34 deficit into a 48-41 advantage with 2:50 remaining that the Bulldogs never relinquished.

An estimate 250 Drake students chanted "Bulldog State" and "We Own This State" as the clock wound down. For the second straight season, the Bulldogs have swept Iowa and Iowa State.

“A few people told me that it's been awhile since we won here,” Young said. “That gave us incentive to play hard.”

The win followed a 79-44 victory over Iowa State Dec. 5. Drake has won eight straight games against Iowa colleges or universities covering the last two seasons.

“Winning the four in-state games was important for our program,” coach Keno Davis said, “but I think most people that watched the games thought it was kind of a blip on the radar ? they got lucky, it was going to happen eventually because they hadn't won for 30 or 40 years.

“I think coming back and playing well gives a little validation to the progress of our program.”

On perhaps the game's key possession, Cox scored the decisive basket.

After Iowa pulled within 48-46, Cox waited in along the left corner as Young drained the shot clock. As the clock nearly expired, Young dished to Cox, who nailed a three-point basket that gave the Bulldogs a 51-46 lead with 1:14 remaining.

"I just kept telling Josh the whole game, look for me in the corner because they're helping out so much,'' Cox said. "They couldn't stop him from getting to the basket so I just told him look for me, I'm open. It felt good, looked good.''

Iowa freshman Jarryd Cole was called for traveling on the next possession, and Drake iced the game at the free-throw line, scoring its last five points.

The Bulldogs scored just five points in the opening 10 minutes of the second half, making just two of 12 shots from the floor to fall behind 39-34 with 11:48 left.

But then Drake's zone defense held Iowa scoreless for the next 7:36.

Korver and Houston hit three-point baskets on back-to-back possessions and Young made a layup that put Drake ahead 48-41 with 2:48 to go.

“That was our only chance ? to pack it in, try to limit their inside play,and then try to follow the best shooters, and then try to limit them as well,” said Davis, whose father Tom coached the Hawkeyes from 1986-99.

“We played 40 minutes of zone. If they were going to beat us, they were going to have to beat us with jump shots.”

Drake's pressure forced Iowa into 16 turnovers with the Bulldogs scoring 24 points off Hawkeye miscues.

Despite its lack of size, Drake also held its own in rebounding by matching Iowa with 33 boards. But the Bulldogs owned a 12-8 advantage on the offensive glass.

Drake senior guard Adam Emmenecker tied a career high with seven rebounds

"It's a special win, especially because it's my last year, the last time I'm playing here, last time playing them and that's just the way you want to go out,'' said Korver.

"But the mindset is different now. I think last year was special because we finally won. I don't want to be cocky or anything but we go into games expecting to win. We came into the game expecting to play well.''

Trailing 14-13, Drake scored 12 unanswered points to grab the first of two 11-point leads in the first half.

Junior reserves John Michael Hall and Jacob Baryenbruch fueled the surge scoring four and three points.

Hall had a dunk and a layup sandwiched around a three-point basket by Baryenbruch.