Drake defeated first-place Wichita State 93-86 in triple overtime in their biggest Missouri Valley Conference win of the season. Junior Ben Simons had a career-high 29 points for Drake, while sophomore Rayvonte Rice had 19 points, 14 rebounds, and nearly recorded a triple-double. The game remained close throughout, with neither team able to pull away. Drake did not score a field goal in the first overtime but made their free throws to keep it tied. Kurt Alexander helped seal the win for Drake with 17 points including key shots in the second and third overtimes.

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THE PERFECT STORM
POSTED BY EIZ ON THURSDAY, 19 JANUARY, 2012, 7:14 AM
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Rice had 23 points and 11 rebounds for Drake. Simons added 18 points while Alexander
contributed 16. The Bulldogs fought back from a 15-point deficit in the second half to get as close
as four, but Creighton withstood the rally. The Perfect Storm.
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THE PERFECT STORM
POSTED BY EIZ ON THURSDAY, 19 JANUARY, 2012, 7:14 AM
Drake outlasted first-place Wichita State
93-86 in three overtimes last Saturday
night at the Knapp Center to notch the
team’s b i g g e s t M i s s o u r i V a l l e y
Conference win of the season.
Junior Ben Simons had a career-high 29
points, and sophomore Rayvonte Rice
recorded his second consecutive double-
double and nearly missed the first triple-
double in school history.
I t w a s t h e f i r s t w i n o u t o f f o u r t r i p l e-
overtime games in Drake history. The Bulldogs (13-9, 6-5 MVC) dealt the Shockers (18-4, 9-2) their
first road loss of the season.
With 13 seconds remaining in the second half and Wichita State clinging to a 63-61 lead, Rice
rebounded a missed free throw and made an outlet pass to Simons. Simons drove to the hoop
and missed a contested layup, but senior Kraidon Woods followed with a put-back bucket to tie the
game with two seconds left.
Rice, who had 19 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists, stole the inbounds pass, and his 85-foot
heave at the buzzer bounced off the rim, drawing a loud gasp from the crowd of 4,895.
Drake did not convert a field goal in the first overtime, but scored all seven of its points in the period
at the free throw line. With the game tied at 70, Rice had another chance to win the game, but his
long trey from the top of the key rimmed out.
The Bulldogs coughed up two six-point leads in the second overtime, but the Bulldogs rode Rice
and senior Kurt Alexander. Alexander drilled a 3-pointer to put Drake up three with 18 seconds left,
but Wichita State’s Ben Smith answered with a trey 10 seconds later to send the game to a third
overtime.
Alexander continued to be a pivotal force, scoring six of Drake’s 11 points in the final overtime.
Alexander finished with 17 points.
“Our team kept responding in a really exciting, intense, passionate and tough game,” head coach
Mark Phelps said. “(Our guys) demonstrated toughness. They continued to respond, they were