SPRINGFIELD, MO. -- Missouri State opened the second half hitting three three-point baskets in the first three minutes that fueled an 11-2 run as the Bears held off Drake, 75-59, in Missouri Valley Conference play Wednesday night.
The Bulldogs, who trailed 33-29 at halftime, could get no closer than eight points the remainder of the game.
Senior guard Josh Young led Drake with 20 points, marking the sixth time in the last 11 games he has scored 20 or more.
Drake got off to a sluggish start, making just four of their first 12 shots and the Bears took advantage racing to a 22-9 lead.
But Drake went on a 18-4 scoring spree with freshman Seth VanDeest scoring six points including consecutive baskets from the left baseline, right baseline and top of the key to give Drake its first lead of the game at 27-26 with 4:37 left.
Missouri State, which shot a season low one-of-16 from three-point range in the previous game in Des Moines, hit 50 percent beyond the three-point arc making 10 of 20 shots.
"The difference in the game was the great start they got in both halves," said Drake coach Mark Phelps, whose team had a two-game winning streak snapped. "We weren't able to catch up in the second half."
Missouri State guard Justin Leonard scored a game-high 24 points, hitting seven of 11 shots including his first three three-point baskets in the opening 4 minutes.
VanDeest finished with 10 points and two blocked shots for Drake. He moved into third place on the Drake single-season freshman scoring list with 263 points.
Senior forward Adam Templeton, who had five points during the Drake scoring spurt, grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds.
"Basketball is a game of runs," Templeton added. "We made a run and they answered."
Drake shot 48.9 percent from the floor. But the Buldogs committed 12 turnovers that the Bears capitalized into 13 points.
"We shot the ball well but we didn't play well defensively and committed too many turnovers," said Phelps.
The Bulldogs close out the regular season campaign, playing host to Evansville in a 4 p.m. start Saturday.
