DES MOINES, IOWA - Senior forward Josh Alexander scored all of his team high 18 points in the second half as Stephen F. Austin held off Drake, 66-64, to capture the inaugural Drake Hy-Vee Classic championship Saturday night at the Drake Knapp Center.
The loss snapped a six-game winning streak by Drake and overshadowed a brilliant second-half performance by junior guard
Josh Young (Lawton, Okla.) who scored a game-high 22 points.
Young, who became the 21st player in school history to reach 1,000 career points, scored 19 of Drake's last 29 points after he made his first basket of the game with 10:37 remaining.
Young made his last four three-point shots including a jumper from the right wing with 7.8 seconds which pulled Drake within 65-64.
Drake was forced to foul, sending Walt Harris to the free throw line where he made his first shot with 5.8 seconds but missed the second.
Drake forward
Adam Templeton (Rapid City, S.D.) then ball faked his defender from the right baseline but was unable to get a shot off as the final horn sounded.
Senior forward
Jonathan Cox (Barrington, Ill.) had 19 points for Drake while moving into the No. 12 spot on the school career rebounding list at 627, surpassing Willie Wise who had 626 rebounds from 1967-69.
Stephen F. Austin, which posted a 26-8 record last season en route to winning the Southland Conference and playing in the NIT, showed no effects of a 112-111 triple overtime victory against North Dakota State Friday.
Alexander scored 12 of his team's 14 points during a 2-minute 48-second stretch that allowed Stephen F. Austin to turn a 39-35 lead into a 53-45 advantage with 7:05 left.
The Lumberjacks would increase their lead to 57-45 following two free throws by Girod Adams.
Even though each team pulled down 29 rebounds, Stephen F. Austin had 17 second-chance points compared to seven by Drake.
Drake junior guard
Craig Stanley (Plano. Texas) dished out a game-high six assists.
The Bulldogs shot 45 percent from the floor, including 50 percent (12-24) in the second half.
Cox, Young, Alexander and Eddie Williams from Stephen F. Austin made the Hy-Vee Classic all-tournament team along with Georgia Southern's Willie Powers.
North Dakota State senior guard Ben Woodside was named the most valuable performer of the tournament after averaging 45.1 points in two games following his NCAA single-game high 60 points against Stephen F. Austin.
