DES MOINES, IOWA - Staring down the best the Missouri Valley Conference
has had to offer this season, Drake didn't flinch as the Bulldogs battled down
to the wire before dropping a 73-70 decision at the Knapp Center on Tuesday
(Jan. 25).
Despite connecting on 10 three
pointers, Drake saw its ledger fall to 8-13 overall and 3-7 in league
play. The victory pushed the Bears
to 17-4 on the season, including 9-1 in conference action.
The game's outcome came down to
the final play as sophomore Reece Uhlenhopp (Urbandale, Iowa/Urbandale) inbounded the ball underneath the
Missouri State basket with three seconds left on the clock and the Bears
leading 73-70.
Uhlenhopp's pass found a cutting
freshman Rayvonte Rice (Champaign,
Ill./Centennial) at mid-court and Rice took a dribble before unloading a three
pointer that fell just short as time expired.
The play was set up by a clutch
triple from the far-left corner by senior Ryan Wedel (Minneapolis, Kan./Minneapolis) with seven seconds remaining that
brought Drake to within one, 71-70.
After a Bulldog foul, Nafis Ricks
hit both his free throw attempts to set the stage for Rice's attempt at a game
equalizer.
The game proved to be a
back-and-forth battle as the two sides registered six ties and 16 lead changes
before the outcome was decided.
The Bulldogs led at halftime, 38-37, after nailing 50 percent of their
shots in the contest's first 20 minutes.
Missouri State finished the affair
shooting 46.9 percent from the field, while Drake connected on 46.2 percent of
its attempts.
Wedel led all scorers with 21
points, including six three pointers.
Joining him in double figures was junior Kurt Alexander (Toronto, Ontario/Pine Ridge Secondary) with a
career-high 13 points and 12 points from sophomore Ben Simons (Cadillac, Mich./Cadillac).
All five starters for the Bears
turned in double-figure performances, paced by 18 points from Kyle Weems. Will Creekmore posted a 13-point,
12-rebound effort.
Missouri State won the battle of
the boards, 33-26, while Drake committed only 10 turnovers to nine for the
Bears.
Redshirt sophomore Jordan Clarke (Rockville, Md./Our Lady
of Good Counsel) led the Bulldogs with a six-rebound performance, while
Alexander and Wedel distributed four and three assists, respectively.
Drake returns to action on Sunday
(Jan. 30) with a 2:05 p.m. showdown at Illinois State.
