Happy Birthday Dr. Tom
The Drake men's basketball team gave coach Tom Davis a win for his 68th birthday on Dec. 3 at Hilton Coliseum with an 80-78 win. It was the Bulldogs' first win in Ames 1978.
The Doc's day almost ended in heartbreak though. Iowa State's Dodie Dunson sunk a 3-pointer that would have given they Cyclones the win, but he got it off too late and it was waived off.
Phew. Drake finally got a break!
I was sitting on press row trying to restrain myself. Luckily I was sitting next to a member of Drake's sports information department instead of one of the media regulars. I have a great respect for the basketball players. My heart was pounding, but they all stayed cool enough to win.
What did you think was going to happen down the stretch?
The Bulldogs need to carry this momentum into their tournament and get some revenge against Troy.
And fans, you need to buy tickets to the Drake-Iowa game. I know $27 is a lot, but it's going to be a great game, and Drake has a fighting chance. I've said this before, but seriously, this is the year. Drake has veteran players and some great newcomers. And Iowa has ... Adam Haluska. That's it, really. So show up and wear blue. Make the Hawkeyes stay home.
Predictions for the other Big 4 games?
Northern Iowa is at Iowa on Tuesday. Iowa State is at Iowa on Friday.
The Drake-Northern Iowa series starts next year.
posted by Jennifer R. @ 1:26 AM
2 Comments:
What did I think was going to happen down the stretch?
Well, me and my basketball hat, pom-poms and megaphone thought Drake was going to throw it away just like they did in all their close, down-to-the-wire games last year. The women are known for their poise and execution down the stretch, but the men often fizzle leads and hand the game over on a silver platter. When Stewart and Calvin both missed the front ends of their 1-and-1s, I thought I had just wasted $11. However, Stewart redeemed himself, and Dunson (thank you God) dribbled before he shot or else Drake would have been sunk.
They played a great game all the way up until the last four minutes or so. They really need to learn how to keep a lead and close out a game though or else Troy and Iowa will get them. Iowa might get them anyway, but after UNI's win tonight over the Hawkeye's anything is possible. I could definitely see a state bragging rights showdown with UNI once the conference season starts.
I was thinking the same thing, Angie. I was praying for the best, but like Tom Davis, expecting the worse ... as you can see in my story. Thanks again for posting a comment on TimesDelphic.com
WEB EXCLUSIVE: Men upset Iowa State at Hilton - Sports
I'm starting to think Greg McDermott is being a poor sport about this loss. In Tuesday's Des Moines Register, he said he should have asked the officals to review when the timekeeper stopped the clock after Al Stewart's layup. A fan on the DrakeNation message board said he went back and watched the tape and saw 4.4 seconds was correct.
The Iowa State gig came with a significant raise so life can't be too bad for McDermott.
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