DES MOINES, Iowa – The Drake University men's basketball team returns to the Knapp Center Saturday, Feb. 18 to host Missouri State in the Bulldogs' next-to-last home game of the season. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on MVC TV outlets including Fox Sports Midwest and the radio broadcast on 1350 ESPN Des Moines.
Saturday will also see two former student-athletes receive Drake's prestigious Double D Award as men's basketball standout Wayne Kreklow and former women's player Lindsay Whorton receive the award. For more information on the Double D Award, click here.
On the court, Drake (7-20, 5-10 MVC) aims to rebound from its current six-game losing streak. The Bulldogs' last win was at Missouri State on Jan. 24 where they narrowly defeated the Bears in overtime, 72-71. That win saw Reed Timmer (New Berlin, Wis.) put up a game-high 27 points as well as six rebounds and five assists while sophomore Nick McGlynn (Stoughton, Wis.) recorded his first career double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Timmer enters the rematch with the Bears needing just 11 points to move into the all-time top 10 in career scoring a Drake.
With only three games left in the season, Drake remains ranked third in the conference averaging 71.7 points per game against conference opponents and have made nine or more three-pointers in 11 games under head coach Jeff Rutter. The Bulldogs sit in seventh place in the MVC standings, just one game behind Saturday's opponent, Missouri State.
Missouri State (15-13, 6-9 MVC) bring with them the conference's leading rebounder in Alize Johnson who averages 10.3 boards per game. Johnson has helped the Bears be the second-best rebounding team in the conference averaging 36.9 rebounds per game. Johnson had 17 points and 17 rebounds in the first meeting this season between the two team while Dequon Miller added 15 points.
Following Saturday's game, the Bulldogs return to the road to face Loyola Feb. 22 before hosting Bradley at the Knapp Center for their final regular-season game on Feb. 25 at 1 p.m.
