DES MOINES, IOWA ? Drake limited Indiana State to a season-low 29.1 percent shooting as the Bulldogs tied a school record with their 12th straight win in a 75-50 Missouri Valley Conference decision Wednesday night.
Junior forward
Jonathan Cox collected a game-high 18 points, while tying a career high with 14 rebounds as the Bulldogs improved their record to 13-1 which is the best start ever in school history.
It also marked the first time since the 1969-70 season that Drake has opened the MVC campaign with a 4-0 record.
A crowd of 7,168, which was the third largest in Drake Knapp Center history, saw the Bulldogs earn their 11th straight home victory.
Indiana State, which had a four-game winning streak snapped, fell to 8-6 including a 3-1 league mark. Sophomore guard Harry Marshall led the Sycamores with 16 points, three assists and three steals.
With the scored tied at 9-9, Cox scored nine straight points, including two three-point baskets, to give Drake an 18-15 lead that it would never relinquish.
Cox, who enjoyed his sixth double-double of the season, triggered a string of eight straight shots that Drake made from the floor.
The Bulldogs finished the first half hitting 60 percent from the field (12-20) en route to enjoying a 41-27 halftime lead.
The Bulldogs dominated the glass, owning a 39-25 rebounding advantage.
"We fought through some rough stretches," said first-year Drake head coach
Keno Davis. "We really focused on rebounding leading up to the game and our effort showed on the court."
The Bulldogs held Indiana State to just one basket in the final 6 minutes 52 seconds of the game en route to grabbing a pair of 28-point leads.
Senior guard
Leonard Houston added 15 points for Drake, including 10 in the second half.
Drake senior guard
Adam Emmenecker chipped in with nine points, six assists and two steals.
Senior guard Gabe Moore, the reigning MVC Player of the Week, scored eight points to become the 30th player in Indiana State history to amass 1,000 career points as he pushed his total to 1,003.
