The Drake University men's
basketball team hits the road for the final time in Missouri Valley Conference
play this season for a Wednesday evening game at Indiana State. Tipoff against the
Sycamores is scheduled for 6:05 p.m. at the Hulman Center. The game will be
broadcast on the radio in Des Moines on 1350-AM KRNT.
Indiana State enters the
contest with a 17-11 overall record and a 9-7 mark in Missouri Valley
Conference games. The Sycamores snapped a three game losing streak on Saturday,
edging Iona 65-64 in its BracketBusters matchup. Guard Jake Odum leads Indiana
State with 14.3 points per game on 48.3 percent shooting while forward Manny
Arop adds 12.6 points per game and leads the team with 5.3 rebounds per game.
In the first meeting
between the two teams this season, Drake edged ISU, 74-71, in overtime at the
Knapp Center.
“We were fortunate to win a
close game here in Des Moines,” Drake head coach Mark Phelps said. “Obviously,
Jake Odum is the straw that stirs their drink. I can't say enough good things
about him and they are really good on their home court.”
The Sycamores are 7-1 in
conference at home with their only MVC home loss coming to league leading
Wichita State.
“In our favor, we've built a little momentum
with pretty good basketball last week,” Phelps said. “We're going to have to be
at our best on both ends of the court to come out with a win.”
The Bulldogs travel to
Terre Haute with a 13-15 overall record and 6-10 in the MVC after two consecutive
home wins snapped a four game losing streak.
Senior Ben Simons (Cadillac, Mich.) has found his scoring touch as of late
and moved into eight in career scoring with 16 points in the win against Green
Bay to give him 1,330 career points. He is averaging a team leading 14.6 points
per game, shooting a blistering 45.0 percent from the floor and 41.4 percent
from beyond the arc.
Senior Chris Hines (Houston, Texas) averages 9.6 points per game, on 40.2
percent shooting. Redshirt junior Seth
VanDeest (Bettendorf, Iowa) tied a career high 10 rebounds and scored 15
points against Green Bay, recording his first double-double since a December, 2010 matchup with Boise State.
In Drake's earlier win over
the Sycamores this season, Simons tallied 21 points in the game to lead the
Bulldogs. Drake shot 49.1 percent in the game and held the rebounding edge.
Dawon Cummings was the leading scorer for Indiana State, with 16 points that
evening.
Following the midweek game,
the Bulldogs will return home for its season finale, hosting Southern Illinois
for a 7:05 p.m. tip on Saturday. Saturday will be a very busy day for the
Bulldogs with it being the program's 'Senior Day' and 'Alumni Game.'
Former Drake greats will
hit the Knapp Center hardwood at 5 p.m. for the annual Alumni Game. The
participants and other Bulldogs who return to town will be recognized at
halftime as will Drake legend Dolph Pulliam in his final home game before his
retirement. The first 1,000 fans through the Knapp Center doors will receive a
commemorative Dolph Pulliam shirt.
The game against SIU will
be broadcast regionally on Mediacom MC22.
