DES MOINES, Iowa – A slow start to the second half by the Drake University men's basketball team allowed No. 23 Northern Iowa pull away for a 64-40 win Saturday afternoon at the Knapp Center.

Reed Timmer (New Berlin, Wis.) had a game-high 13 points for Drake (3-13, 0-4 MVC), while Trevor Berkeley (Tucker, Ga.) led the team with four rebounds. UNI (14-2, 3-1 MVC) sophomore guard Jeremy Morgan controlled the floor for the Panthers, scoring a game-high 15 points matched with eight rebounds. Deon Mitchell added 14 points for the Panthers on 6-of-7 shooting and Marvin Singleton proved to be a handful that gave Drake fits to the tune of nine points, seven rebounds and four assists.

“He [Singleton] is a high energy and a strong energy guy who is going to get rebounds,” said Drake's Chris Caird (Daventry, England). We had to keep him off the boards tonight, and we didn't do a good enough job.”

Drake (3-13, 0-4 MVC) led by as many as nine points in the first half before UNI carried a 31-29 advantage into the locker room. UNI took an early lead, hitting a three-pointer, but freshman  C.J. Rivers (Cahokia, Ill.) responded quickly, matching that three and giving Drake its first lead of the game at 7-5. Rivers finished the game with seven points as Drake's freshman class scored the Bulldogs' first 15 points.  Drake captured its largest lead at 14-5 with 13:24 left in the first half after  Berkeley hit a three at the top of the key.

But a 2:30 scoring drought allowed UNI to trim the Drake lead to two points, 14-12). Rivers ended the drought and put Drake back on top, but with four minutes left in the half, UNI reclaimed the lead and held it the rest of the game.

With 14:20 left in the game UNI extended its lead to 10 points with Berkeley hitting the first Drake basket six minutes into the second half. A seven and a half minute drought followed, allowing UNI to amass an 18-0 run and take a 28-point, 59-31, lead. The Panthers outscored Drake 28-2 to open the half.

“You have to be able to stop the run and start a run of your own,” said head coach Ray Giacoletti. “And we haven't been able to take that next step.”

Jordan Daniels (Fontana, Calif.) pulled Drake out of the scoring slump with 6:22 remaining in the game, but could not ignite the Drake offense any further. Daniels contributed seven points for the Bulldogs.

Drake finished the game shooting 35 percent but just 17.6 percent in the second half as the Bulldogs converted on three field goals. UNI, shot 60 percent from the floor and 47 percent from three-point range.

“We can't be satisfied with 20 minutes when the game is 40 minutes,” Giacoletti said. “We have to be able to reenergize and refocus to be able to play that first four minutes of the second half. That is usually going to determine the outcome of the game, and it was a great indication tonight.”

Drake men's basketball will travel to Chicago, Ill. on Wednesday, Jan. 14, in search of its first conference win of the season against the Loyola Ramblers. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.