The Drake Bulldogs lost in the opening round of the Islander Classic to host Texas A&M Corpus Christi 78-72. Free throws were a big factor. Corpus Christi converted 23 of 33 from the line while the Bulldogs made only 13 of 28. Drake coach Tom Davis says his team failed to execute down the stretch when the game was on the line. Davis says his team showed its inexperience. Brian Evans of Corpus Christi led all scorers with 25 points. Davis says Evans, who is Corpus Christi’s point guard, was the “difference maker” of the game. The Bulldogs play Cleveland State in tonight’s consolidation game.