Des Moines, Iowa — The Drake University men’s basketball team offset some early shooting woes with free throws, then found its touch in the second half and rolled past South Dakota 99-50 at the Knapp Center on Sunday afternoon.
Four players scored in double figures as Drake (2-0) beat the Coyotes for the third straight time and piled up its largest margin of victory in the series, which the Bulldogs now lead 12-3. The largest margin previously against the Coyotes (1-1) was a 69-33 victory in Des Moines in 1946.
The Bulldogs got contributions up and down the lineup and everyone who got into the game scored at least 5 points.
Tank Hemphill, bouncing back after scoring just 4 points in the season-opening victory over Coe, led with 14 points on 6-for-12 shooting. Tremell Murphy and Roman Penn each scored 13 points and Garrett Sturtz added 12.
Backup center Nate Ferguson, getting early action when starter Darnell Brodie picked up two quick fouls, posted career highs of 9 points, 8 rebounds and three steals in a career-best 21 1/2 minutes. Ferguson went 4-for-6 from the field, including a two-handed dunk on a sweet lob pass from Ayo Akinwole.
Sturtz also grabbed 8 rebounds, while Akinwole handed out 4 assists to go with 5 points.
Drake shot 64.7 percent in the second half (22-for-34) and 54.2 percent for the game despite a slow start. The Bulldogs missed their first seven shots, then went 32-for-52 the rest of the way. They also knocked down 12 3-pointers, going 9-for-15 from deep in the second half.
The Bulldogs brought just as much energy to the defensive end, holding the Coyotes to 30.6 percent shooting and forcing 18 turnovers.
South Dakota, the runner-up in the Summit League last season, got 11 points from Xavier Fuller and 10 from Kruz Perrott-Hunt.
Drake went almost six and a half minutes into the game before making a shot from the field, Okay Djamgouz finally ending the drought with a 3-pointer. But the Bulldogs compensated by aggressively attacking the basket and drawing fouls. They went 17-for-21 from the line in the first half and finished 23-of-30.
Penn went 9-for-9 at the line and now has made 16 straight dating back to last season.
Drake trailed 14-10, then went on a 16-2 run that Tucker DeVries ignited with a 3-pointer. The Bulldogs held the Coyotes without a field goal for 7 minutes in building a 26-16 lead, then put together a 14-3 burst to make it 40-21.
The lead stood 40-24 at halftime and the Bulldogs built it from there with their sharp second-half shooting. The final margin was the largest of the game.
The Bulldogs now have a week to get ready for their next game, a date with Atlantic-10 contender Richmond at noon Saturday Nov. 20, at the Knapp Center.
