CEDAR FALLS, Iowa - The Drake University men's basketball team was held to a season-low 54 points in a 68-54 loss at UNI Tuesday, Jan. 16, in the McLeod Center. UNI came into the contest ranked in the top 10 nationally in scoring defense and limited Drake to just 25 second-half points to pull away for the win.
 
UNI's offense shot 49.0, its highest percentage in a Missouri Valley Contest this season and held an 11-rebound advantage to keep the Bulldogs' league leading offense from getting into gear in the second half and erase a 16-point deficit.
 
"Give UNI credit, they beat us," said Drake head coach Niko Medved. "They were down and came back against us."
 
Drake (11-9, 5-2 MVC) was led by Reed Timmer's (New Berlin, Wis.) 18 points while Nick McGlynn (Stoughton, Wis.) scored 13 points, seven of them coming during a first-half spurt that saw the Bulldogs build up a 16-point lead.
 
UNI (10-9, 2-5 MVC) was led by Bennett Koch's 19 points off the bench while reigning MVC Newcomer of the Week Tywhon Pickford recorded a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds.
 
The Bulldogs used four-straight three-pointers, including two from Graham Woodward (Edina, Minn.), to begin a 16-0 run and hold a 22-9 lead 11 minutes into the contest. The Bulldogs' defense allowed the offense to get out and run with stops, holding the Panthers scoreless for nearly seven minutes during that span. McGlynn scored seven of his nine first-half points during that 16-0 run.
 
The Panthers ended that run with a pair of baskets, but Drake answered back with five-straight points including a Timmer three-pointer to stretch the lead to 16 points, 29-13, with 6:49 left in the first half. However, the free-scoring offense hit a few doldrums and went scoreless for nearly seven minutes, allowing UNI to pull within single digits, 29-26, at halftime via a 13-0 run to close the half.
 
"The critical stretch was the end of the first half," Medved said. "We got a little out of sorts and let them back in. Some of that was them, they're a good team and well prepared."
 
Drake briefly extended its lead to five points to open the second half, but six-straight points from the Panthers gave them their first lead since the 15:43 mark of the opening period. Another 6-0 spurt, capped by a four-point play from Pickford put the Panthers up, 43-38, with 11:59 left in the half.
 
"In the second half, their defense cranked up, but we missed a lot of looks too," Medved said. "That frustrated us and affected our defense."
 
The Panthers extended the lead to 12 points, 50-38, 10:26 remaining in the contest before Drake tried to claw back, getting within eight points, but no closer in suffering just their second MVC loss of the season.
 
The Bulldogs aim to bounce back at home this weekend by hosting preseason MVC favorite Missouri State at the Knapp Center where Drake is undefeated this season. Tipoff is set for 3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 20.