The Drake University men's basketball team faces its first true road test of the season Wednesday, Nov. 29, evening when it makes the short trip to Omaha for a 7 p.m. contest against the Mavericks at Baxter Arena.
 
The Bulldogs travel to Omaha with a 4-1 record to mark the program's best start to a season since 2013-14 after earning a 79-67 win over Chicago State Saturday. Those 79 points were the team's second-lowest scoring output of the season as the Bulldogs are averaging an MVC best 85.6 points per game. In the program's last 25 games, the Bulldogs are averaging 75.0 points per game.
 
Drake senior Reed Timmer (New Berlin, Wis.) helped boost that offensive output with a career-high 32 points in Saturday's win behind a career-high seven three-pointers, the fifth most in a game in program history. This season, he also has a 29 and 28-point game to his credit to average 23.6 points per game. His play has been buoyed by Nick McGlynn's (Stoughton, Wis.) work in the paint as he is averaging a double-double in his last three games with two double-doubles and a third he missed by just one rebound. In each of those three games he has improved his career high after posting a career-best 17 points in Saturday's win.
 
Omaha is making its 2017-18 debut at Baxter Arena as the road-weary Mavericks opened the season with seven-straight games away from home. Omaha is looking for its first win of the season. However, the team's last two losses at the Emerald Coast Classic came by a combined three points. Zach Jackson has led the Mavericks to date with 16.1 points on .486 shooting with five rebounds per game.
 
Following Wednesday's game, the Bulldogs remain on the road to travel to Laramie, Wyo., for the MVC/MWC Challenge against Wyoming Saturday, Dec. 2. The Cowboys are 21-3 over the past two seasons on their home court.