The Basics
The Drake men's basketball team returns to the court for its second game of the 2024-25 season as it welcomes Stephen F. Austin to the Knapp Center on Sunday, Nov. 10. Tip-off versus the Lumberjacks is slated for 1:00 p.m.
 
Bulldogs by the Numbers
Drake opened its 2024-25 campaign on Nov. 4 with a dominate win over York, 93-41. The victory over the Panthers marked the first win with head coach Ben McCollum at the helm. The Bulldogs' 52-point margin of victory tied for the seventh best in program history and the 93 points were the most scored by a Drake team in its season opener since beating Buena Vista, 98-52, Nov. 8, 2018.

The Bulldogs were led by graduate forward Daniel Abreu who scored a career-high 30 points, including 19 in the first half. Abreu also set a career mark going 6-for-10 from beyond on the arc. Bennett Stirtz added 18 points along with a game-high seven assists and Cam Manyawu grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds and chipped in with nine points. Nate Ferguson had an efficient game going a perfect 5-for-5 from the field for 11 points while also pulling down five rebounds as well.
 
Drake Leaders
Daniel Abreu l 30.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg, .600 3pt%
Bennett Stirtz l 18.0 ppg, 7.0 apg, .600 3pt%
Nate Ferguson l 11.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 1.000 FG%

 
Scouting Stephen F. Austin
The Lumberjacks also won their season opener on Nov. 4 defeating University of Dallas, 85-51. The Lumberjacks shot 46.8-percent from the floor versus the Crusaders, draining four three-pointers, and shot 60-percent from the free-throw line. They pulled down 59 total rebounds as a team, while gaining 59 points from their bench, and scored 64 points in the paint.
 
Last season SFA compiled an 18-15 overall record, which marked the program's fifth consecutive winning season and their 20th winning season in the last 22 years. The Lumberjacks went 10-10 in conference play last season, good for sixth in the standings.
 
Chris Johnson led the Lumberjacks in their season opener scoring a team-high 17 points to go along with six rebounds and three assists. Johnson is in his first season at SFA after transferring from the University of Texas where he appeared in 17 games for the Longhorns last season shooting 42-percent from the floor. Key returners for the Jacks include senior guard Matt Hayman (9.8 ppg in 2023-24) and senior forward Nana Antwi-Boasiako (8.1 ppg and 4.3 rpg in 2023-24).
 
Stephen F. Austin Leaders
Chris Johnson l 17.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg, .667 FG%
Myles Jenkins l 14.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg, .500 FG%
Thierno Sylla l 9.0 ppg, 9.0 rpg, .400 FG%
 
Up Next
Drake continues its homestand to begin the year with a contest versus Florida Gulf Coast from the Knapp Center on Nov. 16.