CEDAR FALLS, IOWA ? Senior forward Jonathan Cox (Barrington, Ill.), held scoreless for the first 29 minutes of the game, scored seven points to  trigger a 15-3 run as the Drake men's basketball team rallied to post a 47-46 victory past Missouri Valley Conference leader Northern Iowa Wednesday night.

The Bulldogs, returning to the scene where they won the 2008 MVC regular season title, earned their third straight victory at the McLeod Center while also avenging an earlier 81-59 home setback to the Panthers Jan. 17.

Junior guard Josh Young (Lawton, Okla.) scored a game-high 16 points, including nine in the second half for Drake which improved to 16-12, including a 7-9 league mark.

Meanwhile, the loss dropped Northern Iowa into a tie with Creighton for first place in the league at 12-4.

Drake became the only team in the MVC which has beaten co-league leaders Creighton and Northern Iowa on their own home courts this season.

"Our guys played with grit and tremendous energy tonight," said Drake head coach Mark Phelps.

Drake has now won 11 of its last 12 meetings against Iowa, Iowa State and Northern Iowa dating back to 2006.

Trailing 35-28, Cox hit a three-point basket and made two free throws to pull Drake within 35-32.

Young then hit two free throws with 6:51 left to ignite a 6-0 run that gave Drake a 43-38 lead it never relinquished. A layup by Cox capped the run with 4:38 left.

Young would score Drake's last four points of the game. Clinging to a 47-46 advantage the Bulldogs then had to watch Jordan Eglseder miss two free throws with 5.2 seconds left to escape with the victory.

Drake's matchup zone defense caused fits for the Panthers. Northern Iowa committed a season-high 21 turnovers which was quite a contrast from the first meeting between the teams when the Panthers had only four turnovers.

Northern Iowa entered the game leading the MVC in field goal percentage at 46.0 percent but could only shoot  34.9 percent against Drake's zone.

The Bulldogs forced the Panthers into three straight turnovers in the opening 4 minutes 32 seconds of the first half. The Panthers had five turnovers at the 11:22 mark.

Junior forward Adam Templeton (Rapid City, S.D.), who failed to score in the previous game against Northern Iowa (missing all five shots), scored five of Drake's first seven points.

After Templeton nailed a three-point basket with 11:45 left in the first half to pull Drake within 10-7, the Bulldogs would go the next 7 minutes 7 seconds without scoring  -- missing six shots and committing three turnovers - before Young ended the drought with a three-point basket with 4:38 left.

Phelps utilized his fifth different starting lineup of the season, inserting Brent Heemskerk (Grand Rapids, Mich.) and Templeton in the frontline while having sophomore Josh Parker (Harvey, Ill.) start at point guard for the first time in his career.

Junior guard Craig Stanley (Plano, Texas) came off the bench to lead Drake with four assists.

Young and Cox each had two steals.