DES MOINES, Iowa (Interstat) — North Dakota State held off a second-half surge from Drake to secure a 99-94 men’s basketball victory Saturday at Knapp Center. The Bison built a 14-point halftime lead behind hot shooting, then withstood a 53-point second half from the Bulldogs before 3,056 fans. Trevian Carson led North Dakota State with 29 points, while Andy Stefonowicz added 22. The Bison shot 19 for 33 from 3-point range. Drake’s Jalen Quinn scored 24 points and Eli Shetlar had 16. The Bulldogs committed 13 turnovers and were out-assisted 9-2. North Dakota State improved to 9-3. Drake fell to 6-5.

DES MOINES, Iowa (Interstat) — In a game defined by offensive fireworks and a staggering disparity in ball security, North Dakota State rode a historic shooting performance and a torrent of Drake turnovers to a 99-94 victory on Saturday afternoon at a stunned Knapp Center. The Bison, defying a pregame projection that gave them less than a 10% chance to win, improved to 9-3. Drake fell to 6-5 despite a furious second-half rally that fell short. The game’s decisive factor was an almost unimaginable combination of marksmanship from North Dakota State and carelessness from the Bulldogs. The Bison shot a blistering 19 for 33 from 3-point range, a 57.6% clip that overwhelmed the home team. Drake, meanwhile, committed 13 turnovers, which North Dakota State converted into a crucial advantage. The Bison recorded nine steals, led by the backcourt pressure of Damari Wheeler-Thomas and Trevian Carson, while Drake managed only two steals and a mere two assists for the entire game. North Dakota State built its winning margin in a dominant first half, taking a 55-41 lead into the break. The Bison shot 61% from the field in the opening period, including 10 of 16 from beyond the arc. Drake, despite shooting 50% itself in the half, could not keep pace due to its giveaway problem. The most important sequence of the game came early in the second half, as Drake mounted its inevitable charge. After cutting the deficit to 11 points, the Bulldogs watched North Dakota State deliver a series of crushing responses. With the lead at 64-53 and just over 15 minutes to play, the Bison’s Andy Stefonowicz and Treyson Anderson hit consecutive 3-pointers around a Drake free throw, pushing the lead back to 70-56 and effectively blunting the Bulldogs’ momentum each time they threatened to draw closer. Drake’s fight was led by Jalen Quinn, who scored 24 points and was a perfect 10 for 10 from the free-throw line. Eli Shetlar added 16 points and Okku Federiko had 18 points and two blocks. The Bulldogs shot an efficient 51.9% from the field and a stellar 26 of 29 from the foul line, but their 13 turnovers and complete lack of facilitated offense—those two total assists marking a glaring statistic—proved insurmountable against the Bison’s offensive onslaught. North Dakota State’s attack was a balanced and efficient machine. Trevian Carson, a guard from West Des Moines playing in his hometown, led all scorers with 29 points on 10-of-15 shooting, including 5 of 8 from deep. Andy Stefonowicz added 22 points, hitting 6 of 10 from 3-point range. Damari Wheeler-Thomas orchestrated the offense with nine assists to go with 14 points, and Treyson Anderson provided 15 points off the bench. The Bison’s offensive rating of 136.6 points per 100 possessions underscored the sheer efficiency of their performance, as they scored 99 points on just 72 possessions. Drake’s rating of 127.4 was also high, but on a afternoon where every possession was precious, their wasted trips doomed them. North Dakota State, which has now won four straight, will host Minn.-Crookston on Monday. Drake looks to regroup on the road at Murray State on Thursday.

Preview: North Dakota State Bison at Drake Bulldogs DES MOINES, Iowa (Interstat) — Two teams looking to build momentum before conference play begins will meet Saturday when the North Dakota State Bison visit the Drake Bulldogs at Knapp Center. North Dakota State (7-3) enters on a three-game winning streak, including a narrow 69-68 victory over Northern Arizona last Saturday. The Bison have been strong on the road this season, with notable wins at Montana and Jacksonville State. Drake (6-4) seeks to rebound from a 74-69 home loss to UAB last Friday. The Bulldogs have shown a high-powered offense at times, scoring 108 points in a win over Western Illinois, but have also endured close losses to UAB, LSU and SIU Edwardsville by a combined 11 points. The matchup features two of the region’s top guards. North Dakota State is led by Trevian Carson, who is averaging 14.6 points over his last five games. He scored 19 points in the win over Northern Arizona. Drake counters with dynamic guard Jalen Quinn, who is coming off a 26-point performance against UAB and dropped 31 points, seven assists and five rebounds in a win over Georgia Tech on Nov. 29. The Bison have relied on a balanced attack, with Markhi Strickland (16 points vs. Northern Arizona) and Andy Stefonowicz providing consistent support. Drake’s frontcourt, featuring Isaiah Carr and his shot-blocking ability, will be tested by a North Dakota State team that has held three opponents under 70 points during its current streak. This non-conference clash serves as a final tune-up before both teams dive into their league schedules. North Dakota State begins Summit League play on Dec. 31, while Drake opens Missouri Valley Conference action on Dec. 18. Saturday’s game tips off at 7 p.m. CST at Knapp Center.