Box Score By: Megan Leverenz - Drake Athletic Communications Student Assistant
DES MOINES, Iowa – The Drake University men's basketball team earned its first Missouri Valley Conference win of the season and handed Indiana State its first MVC loss, 84-78, Saturday afternoon at the Knapp Center. The back-and-forth contest that saw 13 lead changes and 10 ties before Drake took the lead for good in the final minute.
Drake (4-14, 1-5 MVC) shot 61.5 percent from the field and 70.6 percent from behind the three-point arc with 12 three-pointers. The Bulldogs also outrebounded Indiana State, 28-20, and recorded 18 assists on 24 baskets. Drake seniors led the Bulldogs in scoring with Gary Ricks, Jr. (Los Angeles, Calif.) contributing 23 points, Chris Caird (Daventry, England) with 16, and Jordan Daniels (Fontana, Calif.) putting in 15.
“We've had a lot of close games where we could have won or we put one half together but not two,” Ricks said. “It was definitely really good for our team to go out there and put two halves together and get a win at home.”
Drake got off to a slow start, but soon enough took the lead for the first time midway through the first half at 21-19 with a three-pointer from Ricks. He accounted for the Bulldog's first seven points of the contest and hauled in team-high six rebounds.
Indiana State (9-9, 5-1 MVC) began to challenge Drake's lead late in the first half, tying it up twice with less than two minutes remaining, both times thanks to Sycamore freshman Scott Brenton. Drake kept the first half lead up until the last 60 seconds of the half when Indiana State junior Devonte Brown made two free throws, taking the lead 39-37. Drake was quick to regain it, finishing the half with a 40-39 lead thanks to Caird's three-pointer with 13 seconds remaining.
Scott led the Sycamores with 21 points, followed by Brown and senior Khristian Smith each with 16. Smith and senior Jake Kitchell led Indiana State in rebounds, each hauling in four.
Ricks opened the second half scoring the first points for the Bulldogs, but Indiana State soon took the lead with a three-pointer by Brenton. Ricks reclaimed the advantage from behind the arc with 12 minutes left in the half to give the Bulldogs a 55-52 advantage as part of an 11-0 run. From that point, the lead changed six times in the remainder of the contest.
Drake trailed for the last time by one point, 74-73, going into the final two minutes of the game but soon claimed the lead with a three-pointer from Caird. The Bulldogs' final eight points of the win came from the free-throw line by Karl Madison (Springfield, Ill.) with two free throws, Reed Timmer (New Berlin, Wisc.) with four, and Daniels with two.
“Our offense couldn't bail us out today because we never stopped them,” commented Indiana State head coach Greg Lansing, “They shot free throws at the other end the whole time.”
The victory over Indiana State marks the 190th career win for head coach Ray Giacoletti.
“I'm proud of this team. We've been through as adverse of situation as I've ever been in in 30 years,” Giacoletti said of the win. “This team has not splintered and it hasn't broken.”
Drake continues its two-game homes stand on Tuesday, Jan. 20, against Illinois State. Tip-off in the Knapp Center is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.
