DES MOINES, IOWA -- Guards
Ryan Wedel (Minneapolis, Kan.) and
Josh Young (Lawton, Okla.) combined for 29 points to lift the Drake men's basketball team to a 74-58 exhibition victory past Upper Iowa Saturday night at the Drake Knapp Center.
Young scored a game-high 18 points, including 12 in the second half,as Drake shot 56 percent from the floor in the final period to break away from a 32-26 halftime lead.
Wedel, a junior transfer from Arkansas State, ignited a 15-0 run in a 3 minute 16 second span early in the second half by scoring eight points, including two straight three-point baskets.
The flurry allowed the Bulldogs to turn a 33-30 lead into a 48-30 cushion with 15:16 left in the game.
“It was good to get our young guys some college experience,” said second-year Drake head coach
Mark Phelps. “The game revealed a lot of things that we need to work on and that is what you want out of an exhibition game.”
The Bulldogs, who have 10 new faces on their roster, always played at least two freshmen on the floor at the same time.
"Our seniors and Ryan (Wedel) did a great job," Phelps added. "It is really fun to watch it from a coaches standpoint their interaction and the eagerness by the freshmen to listen to the older guys."
The Bulldogs' pressure defense forced Upper Iowa into 31 turnovers with Drake scoring 32 points off the miscues.
Drake had 17 steals with senior forward
Adam Templeton (Rapid City, S.D.) collecting four followed by three apiece from Simons and sophomore guard
Frank Wiseler (Luxembourg City, Luxembourg)
"Our team, in order to be successful, needs to play more full court basketball instead of half court. Our full court pressure paid dividends," said Phelps.
Consecutive three-point baskets by freshman forward
Ben Simons (Cadillac, Mich.) in a 31-second span gave Drake a 19-15 lead it never relinquished. Simons led Drake with five rebounds.
Drake shot 51.1 percent from the floor, hitting 24 of 47 shots. Upper Iowa shot 41.5 percent, making 22 of 53 attempts.
Keith Steffeck led the Peacocks with 20 points and six rebounds.
Drake will open the regular season next Saturday playing host to IUPUI in the opening round of the Glenn Wilkes Classic.
