Drake men’s basketball welcomed December in the Knapp Center with a game against Western Illinois University on Dec. 2. The team tipped off against the Leathernecks in what would turn out to be a lights-out game.
Drake outscored WIU 54-28 in the first half and 54-29 in the second half for a 108-57 final score. This is Drake’s first 100+ point game since beating St. Ambrose University 124-48 in the 2022-23 season.
The Bulldogs’ Braden Appelhans sank 10-14 three-point shots with 30 points, two assists and three rebounds, while Jaehshon Thomas had 22 points, four assists and two rebounds for the night. The team made 91.7% of free throws for the night and had a 63.3% three-point shooting average.
Drake’s shots and defense proved to make the difference in the Leathernecks’ plans for a win and set the team up for its 6-3 season record through the first nine games. This win over the Leathernecks comes after a rare Atlantic Coast Conference victory for the Bulldogs on the road over the Thanksgiving break, beating Georgia Institute of Technology in the Emerald Coast Classic in Destin, Florida.
Drake will host the University of Alabama at Birmingham on Dec. 5 at 6:30 p.m. for the Drake Holiday Toy Drive game. This is anticipated to be a close matchup, according to ESPN odds. Doors to the Knapp Center open at 5:30 p.m., or the game can be streamed on ESPN+.
