DES MOINES, IOWA ? No. 16 ranked Drake used a 10-0 run to close out the game en route to posting its 18th straight victory with a 75-65 Missouri Valley Conference decision against rival Creighton Wednesday night.

Drake sophomore guard Josh Young, making his first start in six games, equaled a career high with 24 points, including 13 in the second half. Young hit 8 of 11 shots from the floor, including six of eight from beyond the three-point arc.

The 18-game winning streak is the fourth longest winning streak by a team in Missouri Valley Conference history, tying the mark of 18 by Bradley from the last six games of the 1959-60 season through the first 12 games of the 1960-61 campaign.

It is also the second longest active streak in NCAA basketball, trailing a 20-game winning streak by top-ranked Memphis which beat Houston, 89-77, Wednesday night.

Drake improved its league record to 10-0, marking just the fifth time in the last 50 years that a school has enjoyed a 10-0 start in the MVC. Only 20 previous teams in MVC history have started the conference schedule with 10-0 records. Southern Illinois was the last MVC school to win its first 10 league games en route to going 17-0 in the 2003-04 season.

It marked Drake's second win in eight days against Creighton after claiming a 68-60 overtime victory in Omaha, Neb., Jan. 22. It also marked the first time Drake swept the regular season series from the Bluejays since the 1994-95 campaign.

Junior forward Jonathan Cox, enjoying his eighth double-double of the season, added 16 points and 10 rebounds for Drake.

A sellout out crowd of 7,152 ?Drake's fifth consecutive ? saw the Bulldogs win their 15th straight home victory which is the longest winning streak in the 15-year history of the Knapp Center. It also is the third longest in school history trailing winning streaks of 18 from 1962-64 and 23 from 1969-71.

After matching a season high with 13 three-point baskets in a 58-54 home win against Northern Iowa Saturday, the Bulldogs continued their torrid perimeter shooting by making 12 treys which marked the the eighth time that Drake has made at least 10 three-point baskets in a game.

Cox, who set a career high with four three-point baskets, ignited Drake's 10-0 run by sinking two free throws with 2:26 left to break a 65-65 tie.

Drake pushed its lead to 70-65 on a three-point basket from the right wing by senior guard Leonard Houston with 1:51 left. Creighton's P'Allen Stinnett then got a steal and broke down the floor for what appeared to be an open layup, but the ball got stuck between the rim and the glass.

Drake owned the possession arrow. Young hit two free throws with 31 seconds left to seal the win. Drake went 12-of-13 from the free throw line in the second half.

Houston scored 14 and Drake senior guard Adam Emmenecker added 12 points and nine assists.

Junior guard Booker Woodfox scored 19 points and Stinnett had 15 to lead Creighton (14-6, 5-5), which has lost three straight.

Enjoying a 34-29 halftime advantage, Drake went 3-of-4 from three-point range to open the second half and threatened to pull away. But Creighton responded with an 11-2 run, highlighted by a fast-break layup by Woodfox and a three-point basket by Watts to go ahead 50-49 with 10:17 left.

Young, making his first start since spraining his right ankle against Indiana State Jan. 9, started with two quick three-point baskets that put Drake ahead 15-8. Creighton pulled within 26-23 before Young pulled up and calmly drilled a 25-footer. Then Cox, off a behind-the-back flip pass from Emmenecker, hit a trey to push Drake's lead to 32-23 with 1:12 left in the first.

Senior forward Klayton Korver became the 20th player in Drake history to score 1,000 points with a three-point basket midway through the first half. His brother Kaleb, a freshman guard for Creighton, went scoreless in four minutes. Their oldest brother, current Utah Jazz forward Kyle, was the Valley's player of the year at Creighton in 2002 and 2003.

Korver also became just the second player in Drake history to score more than 1,000 points and make 200 or more three-point baskets in his career. Luke McDonald (2000-03) is the only other player to accomplish that feat with 1,328 points and 241 three-point baskets.

Drake improved its record to 19-1 which is the best start in school history and the most victories since the 1985-86 team, under coach Gary Garner, went 19-11 en route to playing in the NIT.

DOG 'TAGS: This marked the first time Drake has won 10 MVC games since the Bulldogs posted 10-6 MVC record in 1985-86 under coach Gary Garner.

Drake's 12th 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.

The 19 wins by coach Keno Davis equals the most wins ever by a first-year coach at Drake tying the 19 victories by Bob Ortegel in the 1974-75 campaign.