TERRE HAUTE, IND. -- Senior guard Adam Emmenecker scored 16 of his career-high 20 points in the second half to trigger No. 16 ranked Drake to its 19th straight victory with an 83-77 Missouri Valley Conference decision at Indiana State Saturday night.
The Bulldogs shot a sizzling 56 percent in the second half, while handing Indiana State its first home loss in 10 games this season.
Sophomore guard Josh Young added 18 points for Drake. Senior guard Leonard Houston, appearing in his 100th career game, netted 16 points and junior forward Jonathan Cox added 12 points.
Drake improved its record to 20-1 which is the best start in school history and the most victories at the school since the 1970-71 team, under coach Maury John, went 21-8.
This is the fifth team in Drake history to win at least 20 games in a season joining the 1970-71 (21-8), 1963-64 (21-7), 1969-70 (22-7) and 1968-69 (26-5) teams.
The 19-game winning streak is the fourth longest winning streak by a team in Missouri Valley Conference history.
It also is the longest winning streak by an MVC school since Bradley won 22 straight games in 1985-86.
The 19-game winning streak also is the second longest active streak in NCAA basketball, trailing 20 by Memphis which played UTEP earlier today.
This also marked the first time ever that Drake opened the MVC season with a 11-0 record.
This is just the 16th time in MVC history that a school has enjoyed an 11-0 start with Southern Illinois being the last to accomplish the feat going 17-0 to start the 2003-04 season.
Drake hit 10 three-point baskets with Young making four treys and Houston adding three three-point baskets.
Sophomore reserve forward Bill Eaddy scored six points to trigger 17-6 run by Drake midway through the second half which turned a 44-42 deficit into a 59-50 lead.
Emmenecker added five points, including a three-point play duing the surge.
Emmenecker, who played the entire full 40 minutes, dished out eight assists.
Junior forward Brent Heemkserk came off the bench to add eight points and six rebounds.
Heemskerk and Eaddy filled in the void for senior forward Klayton Korver who was plagued by foul problems while playing a season-low 14 minutes.
Indiana State, which shot just 29.1 percent from the floor in a 75-50 loss at Drake Jan. 9, came out on firing making 10 of its first 11 shots.
The Sycamores raced to a 26-16 lead behind the play of guard Todd McCoy who scored eight points. McCoy missed all three shots at Drake, making just two free throws in 17 minutes.
A three-point basket by Young pulled Drake within 26-23.
Forward Adam Arnold, who had missed the the previous two games because of a rib injury came off the bench to hit two three point baskets in the first half for the Sycamores who closed out the first period hitting a sizzling 65.2 percent from the floor.
BULLDOG BITES: The 20 wins by coach Keno Davis are the most ever by a first-year head coach at Drake.
This marks the first time Drake has swept the season series from Indiana State since the 2004-05 season.
