GAME NOTES: The Challenge in Music City kicks off on Friday with a non- conference battle between the Drake Bulldogs and Valparaiso Crusaders at the Nashville Municipal Auditorium.

After dropping their first three games of the season to Bowling Green, DePaul, and Western Michigan, the Bulldogs finally got a victory on Tuesday night, as they defeated IUPUI at home, 73-60. It was a fairly comfortable win, as Drake held a lead as large as 20 points in the second half.

Valparaiso on the other hand, has won three straight since starting the season at 1-1. The win streak includes a home victory over Indiana South Bend, and wins over Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Maine in the Central Michigan tournament. All of their victories have been by double digits.

This game marks the first-ever meeting between the Missouri Valley Conference's Bulldogs and the Horizon League's Crusaders.

Drake shot an impressive 68.4 percent from the field in the first half during its victory over IUPUI. The Bulldogs had three starters finish the night in double figures. The trio of scorers were Reed Timmer (12 points), C.J. Rivers (11 points), and Jacob Enevold (10 points). Drake also managed to outscore IUPUI in the paint, 42-28. The Bulldogs have now averaged 74 points in their last two games after averaging just 60 points in their first two games. Drake's defense also played well, putting forth it's best performance of the season. After allowing 82.6 ppg over their first three games, the Bulldogs held the Jaguars to just a .357 shooting percentage on the night.

Drake's top scorers on the season have been Reed Timmer (14.3 ppg), Chris Caird (11.8 ppg), and Jordan Daniels (10.3 ppg). Gary Ricks (9.0 ppg, 5.0 apg), Jacob Enevold (8.0 ppg, 7.3 rpg), and C.J. Rivers (7.8 ppg, 4.8 rpg) have also been important pieces for the Bulldogs. Drake will need more offensive production as it currently holds a -10.0 scoring margin this season. Drake also needs to take care of the ball better given that it's turnover margin is -4.7. The defense will need efforts like the one it had against IUPUI, as the Bulldogs currently allow teams to convert 50.7 percent of their shots from the field.

Valpo's Alec Peters was outstanding in their recent win over the Maine Black Bears, finishing with 31 points and six rebounds. Other leading scorers were Tevonn Walker (16 points, four rebounds), and Darien Walker (11 points). Vashil Fernandez contributed defensively with six rebounds, five blocks and four steals. The win was never in doubt as Valparaiso was up 53-28 at intermission, and held a lead as large as 33 in the second half. The Crusaders shot well from the field, converting 53.3 percent of their attempts, including 57.1 percent of their 3-point tries. Valpo also scored 14 second-chance points, while the Black Bears managed only four.

Alec Peters has been the Crusaders' leading scorer so far this season, as he is averaging 19.6 points per game. Tevonn Walker (10.8 ppg) and Darien Walker (10.6 ppg) have been the other top scorers. Vashil Fernandez has been a presence in the paint, collecting 6.6 rebounds and 3.4 blocks per game. Although 4-1 is an impressive start to their season, the Crusaders have defeated just one team with a winning record (East Tennessee State, 3-1). Their other victories came over the NAIA foe Indiana-South Bend (4-4), Arkansas-Pine Bluff (1-5), and Maine (0-4). Their only loss of the season came against a more quality opponent in the SEC's Missouri Tigers, a game in which they managed just 41 points.

Drake's defense has been very poor this season, and Valpo's offense has scored 90-plus points in three of its four wins. Expect the crusaders to take advantage of the Bulldogs' weakness.