DES MOINES, IOWA ? Drake held Northern Iowa without a basket in the last 5 minutes 32 seconds, while rallying from a four-point deficit, to extend its school-record winning streak to 17 games with a 58-54 Missouri Valley Conference victory Saturday night.

Drake, owning the nation's third longest active winning streak behind Kansas (19) and Memphis (18) improved its record to 18-1 which is the best start in school history.

Drake, which was ranked No. 22 in the latest Associated Press poll, also surpassed its entire victory output of last season (17-15), while posting the most victories by a team since the 1985-86 squad went 19-11.

Behind the sharpshooting touch of senior forward Klayton Korver, the Bulldogs tied a season high with 13 three-point baskets while improving its MVC league leading record to 9-0.

The last time a Bulldog team opened the MVC campaign with a 9-0 record was in 1969-70 when Drake won the league title with a 14-2 record.

Korver made eight of 10 shots from the floor, including seven of eight from beyond the three-point arc, while tying a career high with 23 points. He also had 23 against Northern Iowa in a 74-61 home victory Jan. 7, 2007.

After a three-point basket by reserve Brian Haak gave Northern Iowa a 53-49 lead, the Panthers would miss their last nine shots while committing two turnovers.

Drake then closed out the game with a 9-1 run.

Korver brazenly answered the 3-pointer by Northern Iowa by hitting one over 7-foot-1 center Jordan Eglseder, bringing Drake within 53-52 with 4:26 left.

Drake finally retook the lead, 55-53, on a three-point basket by Leonard Houston with 2:30 left, and the defense took over from there.

Neither team had a turnover in the second half until Northern Iowa lost the ball with 3:02 remaining. Drake finished with a season-low five turnovers, only one in the second half. Northern Iowa had just six turnovers, one off its season low.

Senior center Eric Coleman was fouled on UNI's next possession, making one free throw. Northern Iowa was unable to take advantage of a turnover by Houston on Drake's next possession as the Panthers Adam Viet missed a three-point shot while guard Jared Josten misfired on a jumper off the rebound.

Guard Adam Emmenecker drove the lane for a layup to push Drake's lead to 57-54 with 44 seconds left. Junior forward Jonathan Cox followed with a free throw with 13.2 seconds remaining to account for the final score.

Korver became the second Drake player in history to make 200 or more three-point baskets as he pushed his total to 204.

Korver has made 22 three-point baskets in his last five games.

In a game featuring the league's top two rebounders Cox grabbed a game-high 12 boards to six by Coleman. It was the eighth time Cox had reached double figures in rebounding

Sophomore guard Josh Young, hitting three three-point baskets, added 12 points for Drake. He became the 10th player in school history to make 100 or more three-point baskets in a career as he pushed his totals to 102.

Josten led Northern Iowa with 12 points.

A sellout crowd of 7,152 saw Drake win its 14th straight home game which is the longest winning streak in the 15-year history of the Knapp Center.

It also marked Drake's fourth straight home sellout crowd.

Drake shot 41.3 percent from the floor making 19 of 46 shots. Nothern Iowa hit 42.6 percent.

BULLDOG BITES: The 17-game winning streak is the fifth longest winning streak by a team in Missouri Valley Conference history and the longest winning streak by an MVC school since Bradley won 22 straight games in 1985-86.

The 14-home game winning streak also is the third longest in school history trailing winning streaks of 18 from 1962-64 and 23 from 1969-71.

It also marked the first time Drake has won nine MVC games since the Bulldogs posted a 9-9 league mark in 2001-02.

This marked Drake's ninth straight victory against an Iowa college or university dating back to last year (Waldorf, Iowa State -twice, Iowa-twice, UNI-three times, Cornell).

The 18 wins by coach Keno Davis are the second most by any first-year coach at Drake equaling 18 wins that Forddy Anderson earned in the 1946-47 season, while trailing the 19 victories by Bob Ortegel in the 1974-75 campaign.

Drake's 11th straight home win this season is the second longest single-season home winning streak only trailing the mark of 13 in a row by the 1969-70 team.