DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Reed Timmer had 19 points, Casey Schlatter added 13, and Drake shot nearly 70 percent from the field en route to a 97-52 win over Simpson (Iowa) in the season opener for both teams on Friday. Timmer, who earned Missouri Valley Conference All-Freshman and All-Newcomer honors last season, finished 6 of 7 from the field and 6 of 6 on free throws.

Drake used an 18-0 run in the first half to take a 26-6 lead within the first 10 minutes. The Bulldogs led 50-18 at halftime. Dominik Olejniczak’s 12 rebounds led an impressive effort from the Drake bench which totaled 47 points and 32 rebounds.

Dillon Gretzky, nephew of hockey legend Wayne Gretzky, scored a team-high 14 points for Simpson and pulled down five rebounds. He was the only Storm player to score in double figures.