GAME NOTES: Riding the third longest winning streak in the nation, the 22nd- ranked Drake Bulldogs face off against the Creighton Bluejays in a Missouri Valley Conference showdown at the Qwest Center OMAHA tonight. Since losing their only contest at Saint Mary's-CA (72-66) on November 10th, the Bulldogs have reeled off a school-record 15 straight victories, which is the third longest winning streak in the nation behind Kansas (18) and Memphis (17). In a battle for first place, Drake took control of the MVC by outlasting Illinois State, 79-73, on Saturday. With the triumph, the Bulldogs improved to 7-0 in conference action, marking their best start in MVC play since opening 9-0 during the 1969-70 campaign. Now at an impressive 16-1 overall, Drake takes to the road, where it has gone 5-1, including 3-0 versus league foes. As for Creighton, it comes into the contest on a roll itself, winning five straight outings. On Saturday, the Jays flexed their muscle by posting an 86-69 triumph over Indiana State. It was the 10th win in 11 home games this season by Creighton, which improved to 14-3 overall and 5-2 in conference play. The Jays lead the all-time series with Drake, 86-52, and they have won the last six meetings.

The Bulldogs have fared well on defense this season, as they are holding their foes to just 58.3 ppg, in addition to forcing them into 18.6 turnovers per game. Offensively, Drake has been just as good, scoring 74.4 ppg and shooting 45.5 percent from the floor. Josh Young leads the team and the MVC in scoring (16.3 ppg), but he has missed the last three games with a sprained right ankle and is listed as questionable for tonight's bout. Leonard Houston is one of several players that has stepped up in his absence and he ranks second in scoring with 15.1 ppg on the strength of 40.5 percent shooting from long range. Jonathan Cox is the squad's primary target in the low post and he turns in 12.2 ppg and a team-best 8.7 rpg. In the team's last game, Adam Emmenecker erupted for a career-high 19 points, as Drake upended Illinois State on Saturday. Emmenecker, who is averaging 6.0 ppg and a team-high 5.2 apg on the season, finished the game with six assists and the same amount of rebounds. Houston tallied 18 points, while Cox notched a double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds. The Bulldogs connected on 46.6 percent of their field goal tries and they scored 26 points off 17 turnovers committed by Illinois State.

The Bluejays are the top scoring team in the MVC, just ahead of Drake, as they are averaging a solid 75.2 ppg behind 46.6 percent shooting from the floor. The team has also done a good job on defense, creating 18.1 turnovers per game and holding its opponents to 62.6 ppg. Dane Watts tops the roster in both scoring (12.7 ppg) and rebounding (6.8 rpg) and he is hitting on 52.9 percent of his tries from the floor. P'Allen Stinnett is second with 11.5 ppg and he also has 31 steals to his credit. In the squad's latest outing, Cavel Witter poured in 21 points and Booker Woodfox tallied 20 points, as Creighton downed Indiana State over the weekend. Both totals were career highs for the reserves, who are averaging under 8.0 ppg for the season. The Jays shot 57.1 percent from the floor in the contest and that includes a 12-of-23 performance from long distance.

Drake is coming off a big win, but it must quickly refocus, as Creighton is one of the top teams in the MVC. As a matter of fact, with the support of their fans and another balanced effort, look for the Jays to spring the upset tonight.