Box Score | Updated Season Statistics

Sophomore Rayvonte Rice (Champaign, Ill.) led all scorers with 22 points and tied for the team lead with seven rebounds. Junior Ben Simons (Cadillac, Mich.) added 14 points, while junior Jordan Clarke (Rockville, Md.) and senior Kurt Alexander (Toronto, Ontario) contributed 11 apiece. Clarke tied Rice for the team lead with seven rebounds.

"I thought we had good energy for most of the game," said head coach Mark Phelps. "There were some lulls in there, but I thought on the defensive end, which we continue to emphasize about playing the right way, I think we continued to improve. I'm just really proud of our overall effort. There were some guys who stood out, but overall I thought our team played well and it's another win. We're happy to continue to build some momentum."

The Bulldogs led by as many as 26 points in the second half, using a 14-0 run to build a 50-24 lead with 15:53 to play. Cal State Northridge, however, would not go down without a fight and put together a 14-4 run to close to 54-38 with 9:23 to play.

Drake responded with back-to-back three-pointers from Rice and Simons, and a Jordan Clarke free throw to push the lead back to 61-38, and was never seriously threatened again.

In the first half the Bulldogs used a 17-3 run that started midway through the half to stretch a 14-13 lead to 31-16 and take control of the game.

Drake led 36-23 at the half, powered by the 13 points of Rice, who finished one point off his season and career high, achieved most recently vs. Winthrop last week at the Paradise Jam. Rice shot 9-18 from the field and 3-5 from the free-throw line, and added an assist, two blocks and three steals.

Simons was 6-11 (55%) from the field for the Bulldogs who shot 57.1% in the second half (12-21) to finish the game at 47.1% (24-51), just above their season average of 46.7%.

Drake continued its strong play on the boards this season, outrebounding Cal State Northridge 39-29, its widest margin of the season. Cal State Northridge shot just 35.1% (20-57) and was forced into 21 turnovers by the Bulldogs, who managed a season-high 10 steals.

Clarke was a key to Drake's aggressive play in the paint and on the boards, going to the free-throw line a career-high 12 times (5-12) and adding three assists.

The Bulldogs held the edge on the Matadors in points in the paint, 34-16, and scored 27 points off turnovers, while the Matadors had 12. Drake also topped Cal State Northridge in second-chance points, 14-4, and fast-break points, 10-2.

"We need to continue to work on the offensive end," Phelps added, "and just keep getting better overall as a team."

The Bulldogs travel to Boise State on Wednesday, Nov. 30, to take on the Broncos, who are 4-1 after a 71-57 victory tonight over Northern Illinois.