DES MOINES, Iowa – The Drake University men's basketball team led for nearly 39 minutes before falling, 63-62, to visiting North Dakota Saturday, Dec. 6, at the Knapp Center.

Freshman Reed Timmer (New Berlin, Wis.) led Drake in points; contributing 13 and shooting 5-of-11, followed by Jordan Daniels (Fontana, Calif.) who had 12 points. As a team, Drake (1-7) shot 52 percent from the field and 29 percent from behind the arc as Drake went with a significantly smaller lineup for much of the game.

“We had kind of screwed up lineups out there the whole night because their ball-screen offense is so hard to defend,” said Drake head coach Ray Giacoletti. “That's why we went out there with four guards.”

However the Bulldogs were handcuffed by turnovers all afternoon with 19 errors that North Dakota (3-4) turned into 17 points.

“We have to solve this turn-over issue,” Giacoletti said. “We had 19 turnovers. You don't give yourself a chance to win when you do that.”

North Dakota was led by Quniton Hooker's 16 points, including the game winning basket. Terrel De Rouen and Estan Tyler each added 15 points in the victory.

North Dakota tied the game in the first minute of the second half before Gary Ricks, Jr. (Los Angeles, Calif.) connected on a three-pointer to give the Bulldogs the lead back and finish as he finished nine points. Ricks' three-pointer keyed a 13-4 run to give Drake a nine-point, 42-33, lead in the first five minutes of the half.

However, North Dakota stayed within striking distance for much of the second half before setting the game-winning series into motion.

With 1:29 left in the game and Drake leading, 61-57, Enevold fouled out, but UND's Jaron Nash missed both free throws to preserve the Bulldogs' temporary lead. Thirty-seven seconds later Rivers made 1-of-2 free throws to extend Drake's lead to five points, 62-57.

UND responded on its next possession with a layup while the Bulldogs committed back-to-back turnovers to set up Hooker's game-winning layup with 14 seconds left.  

Drake had two chances to tied the game in the waning seconds but could not get either attempt to fall.

Daniels began the first half for the Bulldogs from behind the arc with an assist from C.J. Rivers (Cahokia, Ill.) that fueled a 10-0 run over the first seven minutes. Drake kept the lead with sophomore Jacob Enevold Jensen (Lunderskov, Denmark) scoring two to finish the first half with the Bulldogs leading, 29-25. 

Drake travels to Green Bay for its next contest on Saturday, Dec. 13. Tipoff against the Phoenix is scheduled for 4 p.m.