Following its fifth-straight home win, the Drake University men's basketball team takes its fortunes on the road Saturday to visit the top team in the Missouri Valley Conference standings, Illinois State. Tipoff between the Bulldogs and Redbirds is set for 7 p.m. on MVC TV affiliates.
The Bulldogs head to Redbird Arena with three wins in their last four games as part of a five-game home win streak. That home win streak ranks as the second-longest in the MVC behind only Illinois State's 15-game home win streak. The Redbirds are 15-4 overall this season and a perfect 7-0 in the Valley.
In their last five wins, the Bulldogs have averaged 93.2 points per game while shooting 49.2 percent from the floor and 45.7 percent from the arc. Additionally, under head coach
Jeff Rutter, the Bulldogs are averaging 79.8 points per game and have made nine or more three-pointers in seven of the 11 games.
Some of those three-pointers have come from the hot hand of
Ore Arogundade (Chicago, Ill.). The junior is coming off a career-high 19-points, 17 in the second half and overtime, in the win against SIU. Eight of those points came in the final 5:12 of the contest including a pair of free throws with less than six seconds remaining to force overtime.
In the last eight games, Arogundade is averaging 14.0 points and 5.4 rebounds per game while shooting 56.6 percent from the field and 52.9 percent (18-of-34) from the three-point arc. He has scored in double-figures in seven of those games.
His colleague in the backcourt,
Reed Timmer (New Berlin, Wis.) scored 20 points in the win over SIU and ranks second in MVC scoring with 18.3 points per game. His most recent 20-point performance was his fifth 20-point game of the season and 17th of his career. The last time Drake and Illinois State met, Timmer scored 19 points with four assists in a loss at Redbird Arena.
Following Saturday's game, the Bulldogs are on the road for their next game at Missouri State on Jan. 24. Tipoff for that contest at JQH Arena is set for 7 p.m. The team returns home on Saturday, Jan. 28, to host UNI.
