FORT COLLINS, COLO. - In a game of runs it was Colorado State that
garnered the games' most important skein using an 10-0 run midway through second
half lifting the Rams to a 78-67 victory over Drake in the second annual
Mountain West/Missouri Valley Conference Challenge on Wednesday (Dec. 1).
The Bulldogs saw their ledger fall to 2-4 on the campaign,
while the Rams improved their ledger to 3-1 overall.
The two sides exchanged baskets over the games' first eight
minutes with neither side maintaining more than a three-point advantage until a
three pointer by Adam Nigon with 10:07 remaining put Colorado State up 18-14.
Freshman Rayvonte Rice (Champaign, Ill./Centennial) promptly answered with
a triple of his own to cut the deficit to 18-17.
The Rams then used a 5-0 run to go up 25-19 on a lay-up by
Pierce Hornung with 7:34 to play in the half.
The Bulldogs came alive with a 9-0 run of their own to
assume a 28-25 advantage. Fueling
the surge was four points from sophomore Seth VanDeest (Bettendorf, Iowa/Bettendorf) and
three points by sophomore Reece Uhlenhopp (Urbandale, Iowa/Urbandale).
Following consecutive baskets by Colorado State that
provided a 29-28 lead, Drake scored five unanswered to regain the advantage,
32-29 on a free throw by Rice.
The Rams had an answer of their own finishing the half on an
11-2 skein, including a three-pointer at the buzzer from Andre McFarland to
lead at the half, 40-34.
The Bulldogs connected on 56 percent of their shots in the
first 20 minutes, while Colorado State tickled the twines at a .517 clip.
The key statistic in the first half was rebounds as the Rams
outmuscled Drake on the glass 19-8, including 8-0 on the offensive end. Second-chance points also went in favor
of Colorado State, 9-0.
Beginning the final 20 minutes on a 4-1 surge, the Bulldogs
brought themselves to within one possession, 41-38, before the Rams parlayed a
6-0 run to hold a 47-38 margin at the first media timeout (15:42).
Not to be denied, Drake scored six straight points with
baskets from freshman Jeremy Jeffers (Wilson, N.C./Greenfield) and redshirt junior Kraidon Woods (Henryville,
Pa./Pocono Mountain East) to bring the Bulldogs within three, 47-44.
As was the case all night, Colorado State answered back
recording the next 10 points to take its then biggest lead of the game,
57-44.
Compounding the problem for Drake was a 5:21 span between
field goals. During the dry spell,
the Bulldogs were outscored 13-4, before a jumper by senior Ryan Wedel (Minneapolis, Kan./Minneapolis)
with 9:15 remaining cut the deficit to 60-48.
The Rams slowly pulled away over the final nine-plus minutes
en route to collecting the triumph.
A 16-point performance by Wedel paced Drake, while VanDeest
and Rice added 15 and 14 points, respectively. Andy Ogide led Colorado State with 18 points.
The Bulldogs registered a 43.9 percent shooting mark, while
the Rams connected on 50 percent of their attempts.
Colorado State won the rebounding battle, 39-29, and it paid
dividends with a 14-4 advantage in second-chance points.
Drake returns to action on Dec. 8 with an 8:00 p.m. showdown
at Eastern Michigan.
