DES MOINES, IOWA ? Sophomore guard
Josh Young scored 23 points for the second straight game to key the Drake men's basketball team to its sixth straight victory with an 83-53 romp past Chicago State in the opening round of the third annual Drake Regency Classic Friday night at the Drake Knapp Center.
The Bulldogs will face Texas-Pan American in Saturday's 7:37 p.m. championship. The Broncs upended Jackson State, 70-64, in Friday's opening round game.
Drake improved to 7-1 which equaled the best start at the school since the 1979-80 team, led by All-American Lewis Lloyd, also opened the campaign at 7-1.
It also marked the second straight year Drake has won at least six straight games. After opening the 2006-07 season with a 1-2 mark, Drake reeled off eight straight wins climaxed by winning the 2006 Sun Bowl Tournament in El Paso, Texas.
Drake also won its eighth straight home game, equaling the longest winning streak in the history of the Drake Knapp Center.
After making just one of eight shots from the floor against Iowa State Wednesday, Drake junior forward
Jonathan Cox hit five of nine shots ? all in the first half ? for 13 points which was his second highest output of the season.
Junior forward
Brent Heemskerk came off the bench to add 12 points, while senior guard
Leonard Houston netted 11.
Young, who leads the Missouri Valley Conference in three-point baskets made, hit six of 11 three-point shots. It marked the third time in which Young made at least six three-point baskets in a game this season.
Four straight points by Young keyed a 9-0 spurt that gave Drake a 30-14 lead with 5:49 left in the first half.
Chicago State cut the deficit to seven points four times early in the second half before a three-point basket by Young ignited a 7-0 run that allowed Drake to erect a 59-45 advantage.
Young moved into No. 11 on the school career three-point basket list with 89 treys, surpassing Andry Sola who had 88 from 2000-02.
Drake tied a season high with 15 steals for the third time with Heemskerk, Young and senior guard
Adam Emmenecker collecting four steals apiece.
Chicago State shot just 35.3 percent from the floor, hitting 18 of 51 shots, to become the fourth Drake opponent to shoot less than 38 percent from the field this season.
Heemskerk also had a career-high four blocked shots, surpassing his previous high of three at Missouri State Feb. 1, 2006.