WSU makes a run and Keno Davis calls time with 13:16 to play. P.J. started WSU’s rally with a three. Gal hit one. Braeuer hit a leaner on the break to cut the lead to 47-39.
Bulldogs led 45-31 and will be shooting lots of free throws the rest of the way. They do not miss them often.
WSU was down 38-31 when things fell apart. Cox turned in a three-point play to push the lead to 41-31. Lance Harris took a bad three. Emmenecker drove past Braeuer and drew a foul for another three-point play and a 44-31 lead. Mekel threw a long pass that Drake picked off. That led to another Drake free throws.
WSU ball with 15:44 to play.
The second half is about to start. Same starters for both. Gal Mekel played only five minutes in the first half. He is really in the doghouse and I would guess turnovers and defense is the main problem. He picked up two fouls in the first half because he couldn’t stay in front of Emmenecker on defense.
The Shockers survived two turnovers and two missed shots in the final minutes to stay in the game. WSU did not make a field goal in the final 5:44 of the half. Drake missed its last four shots, or the halftime lead could have expanded.
WSU is sticking close with its shooting, and that seems unlikely to last from long range. The Shockers have made 5 of 12 threes and 4 of 12 twos. The Bulldogs do a good job of making teams take uncomfortable shots and the Shockers show it. WSU has nine turnovers. Couisnard and Braeuer each have nine points.
Korver leads Drake with 12. The Shockers did a better job sticking close to him late in the half.
Shockers cut into lead and there is 3:42 to play. P.J. Couisnard has scored four of WSU’s six points in a recent burst, including a long three at the shot clock buzzer. He missed two free throws, although Aaron Ellis bailed him with a rebound and putback after one.
Senior night is rarely easy on the visitor. It can also be a pain for the home team because all the pressure is on them. The longer WSU sticks around, the longer Drake has to keep playing when their thoughts may be somewhere else.
Drake’s defense gives up shots. The key is taking them when shooters are comfortable and making them. WSU has done that so far. The Shockers are even playing well with Braeuer on the bench.
WSU is having all sorts of trouble with the press. If Braeuer isn’t handling the ball, the Shockers are shaky.
Klayton Korver has 12 points on 4 of 6 threes. He has not been healthy in recent seasons, and we were seeing how much that hurt the Bulldogs. When healthy, as he has been this season, he is real offensive weapon.
Bulldogs lead by three with 11:53 to play in the first half. WSU doesn’t want this scoring pace. Both teams are hot from three.
The Bulldogs got something going with their press and a layup. After a WSU miss, Matt Braeuer spoiled a Drake fastbreak by taking a charge. Braeuer has nine points, all on threes.
Drake freshman Josh Parker has five points.
15:55 to play. WSU’s only basket is a three from Matt Braeuer. The Bulldogs are getting open threes and that’s bad news for WSU. Drake center Jonathan Cox missed a layup but that’s twice he was open on break. WSU’s big men must find him and get back on defense.
Under five minutes before tip and Drake’s Knapp Center is packed and loud. Fans started showing up 90 minutes before the game. With all that going on, the Knapp Center no longer feels like a rec center. It feels like a college basketball arena.
No Phil Thomasson for WSU, which means the Shockers are down to seven scholarship players. That means more minutes for Aaron Ellis and J.T. Durley, who had 13 in the first meeting. We may even see more of Brett Burley, who played a season-high 11 minutes Tuesday.
This is the first ESPN or ESPN2 broadcast of a men’s game from the Knapp Center.
Andrew Logue is chronicling Drake’s dream season on his first year on the beat for the Des Moines Register.
Q: When you start to believe that Drake was for real?
A: I think the first indications came in the opening weekend when Drake lost a close game at nationally ranked Saint Mary’s. A couple weeks later, the Bulldogs blew past Iowa State 79-44. The win at Wichita State was huge, because it got the ‘Dogs off to a good start in the Valley.
Q: Are recent losses a sign the Bulldogs will be vulnerable in St. Louis?
A: Everyone is vulnerable in St. Louis. There is no Valley team that is head and shoulders above the rest. I think the recent losses are more a statement of how deep and competitive the Valley is.
Q: MVC Player of the Year will be a tough choice for most voters - who is your choice?
A: Ok, I cover Drake so this won’t be much of a stunner: Adam Emmenecker. Drake had a lot of the parts, but it was Emmenecker who put it all together on the floor.
Q: Which title means more to Drake fans - state champs or Valley champs?
A: Drake fans waited 37 years for a Valley title. They were state champs last season. When the Bulldogs clinched Valley at Northern Iowa, I saw tears in people’s eyes.