The Drake University men's basketball team begins Missouri Valley Conference competition on Thursday, Dec. 29, when it hosts Loyola in the Knapp Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. with the contest broadcast on Mediacom MC22 and The Valley on ESPN3.
Thursday evening's game will also be 'Dollar Day' in the Knapp Center with $1 general admission tickets available through Dec. 28 at DrakeTix.com as well as $1 specials on concessions at the Knapp Center.
The Bulldogs open MVC action following a brief holiday break after the team's impressive 101-69 win over Mississippi Valley State on Dec. 22. That win saw the Bulldogs match a school record with 17 three-pointers as sophomore Billy Wampler (Eau Claire, Wis.) scored a career-high 27 points on eight three-pointers.
Wampler has scored 20 or more points in three of his last four games and is shooting 19-of-34 from the three-point arc during that span.
Loyola travels to Des Moines with a 10-3 record on the year and was ranked 18th in the latest CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 poll.
Newcomer Aundre Jackson leads the Ramblers with a team-high 16.8 points per game along with 4.5 rebounds per game. As a team, Loyola is fourth in the nation in field goal percentage at 51.5 percent.
Following Thursday's MVC opener, the Bulldogs take to the road for the first time in more than a month with a Jan. 1 game at SIU.
