Matt Gatens scores 18 points and Iowa holds off Drake 71-67 to snap 2-game losing streak

Iowa holds off Drake 71-67

IOWA CITY, Iowa — Matt Gatens scored 18 points and Anthony Tucker added 17 as Iowa beat Drake 71-67 Saturday night.

Gatens also had nine rebounds and five assists for the Hawkeyes (4-7), who avoided being swept by their three instate rivals for the first time.

Iowa took control with a 12-4 run to open the second half, turning a one-point deficit into a 43-36 lead. Drake pulled within 67-65 with 36 seconds left, but the Hawkeyes held off the Bulldogs down the stretch to pick up their first close win of the year.

Seth VanDeest had 15 points and Josh Young added 13 for Drake, which had its first winning streak of the season snapped at three games. The Bulldogs (5-6) hit nine 3s in the first half but shot just 2 of 11 from beyond the arc after that.

Iowa coach Todd Lickliter was back on the sidelines after missing three games because of surgery to repair a tear in his carotid artery.