NORTHRIDGE, CALIF. -- Drake scored its last 10 points at the free throw line to hold off two-time defending Big West Conference champion Cal State Northridge, 90-80, in a BracketBusters game Saturday night.
Senior guard Josh Young scored 20 points, including 14 in the second half, to pace a balanced attack for Drake in which five players scored in double figures.
"It was a gritty performance," said Drake head coach Mark Phelps, whose team moved to 13-16 overall. "We had great effort in a physical game. They (Cal State Northridge) won some battles but we won the war.
"It was a great win on the road. Everyone stepped up for us."
Senior forward Adam Templeton added 16 points and seven rebounds for Drake which improved its BracketBusters record to 6-1.
The Bulldogs shot 52.9 percent from the floor, making 27 of 51 shots. Drake hit 52.2 percent from three-point range making 12 of 23 shots.
After a jumper by Templeton gave Drake an 80-66 advantage with 5:26 left, the Bulldogs scored their last 10 points at the free throw line.
In fact, Drake made 18 of 21 free throws in the second half. The Bulldogs entered the game ranked ninth in the NCAA in free throw percentage (.758) and fired at an 85.7 percent clip against Cal State Northridge making 24 of 28 free throws.
"Clearly, the free throws were a big part of us winning the game," Phelps added. "We made the plays when we had to."
Phelps lauded the play of freshmen Seth VanDeest, Aaron Hawley, Ben Simons and Reece Uhlenhoop who combined to score 32 points.
VanDeest scored 13 points, including nine in the second half while making all five of his free throws.
Simons came off the bench to score 10 points, hitting four of five shots in the first half.
Trailing 34-31, Drake went on 8-0 run with Hawley, Uhlenhopp and Simons scoring all the points to give the Bulldogs a 39-34 lead it never relinquished.
Uhlenhopp started the run with a three-point play and then Hawley drilled a three-point basket at top of key after getting pass from Young. Simons had jumper from left baseline to end the flurry.
"Our freshmen really stepped up for us in a big way," Phelps added.
Young, who enjoyed his sixth 20-plus scoring game of the season, also matched a season high for the second straight game by grabbing eight rebounds.
After the Matadors pulled within 44-42, Drake went on 13-3 run with Young igniting the spree with a left-handed layup in the paint followed by a three-point basket off an inbounds pass.
Cal State Northridge scored eight unanswered points to pull within 84-79 with 2:02 left but the Bulldogs made six straight free throws to push its advantage back up to 90-79.
VanDeest scored four of Drake's first seven points but watched the last 10:54 of the first half from the bench after he picked up his second foul.
