3/5/2023

ST. LOUIS – The No. 2 seeded Drake men’s basketball team shot 56 percent, including 66.7 percent in the second half, rolling to a 77-51 victory past top-seeded Bradley to claim the championship of the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament at the Enterprise on Sunday (March 5).

“I’m really proud of our guys,” head coach Darian DeVries said. “We had unbelievable fight today and played together. It’s an incredible moment.”

The Bulldogs, avenging a 73-61 setback at Bradley last Sunday which cost them a share of the MVC regular season title, punched their ticket to the NCAA Tournament for the sixth time in school history.

Drake, winning its third straight game, improved its record to 27-7 — the second most single-season wins in school history only trailing the 2007-08 squad which went 28-5 en route to winning the school’s first MVC Tournament championship. 

Sophomore forward Tucker DeVries, who was the recipient of the Doug Elgin Award as the outstanding player of the tournament, led Drake with 22 points including 13 in the second half.

Bradley, which had a 12-game winning streak snapped, fell to 25-9. Graduate guard Ja’Shon Henry led the way for Bradley for the second straight game, scoring 10 points. The 26-point margin was the largest defeat all season for the Braves.

DeVries made three three-point baskets to move up to No. 3 on the school single season three-point basket list at 87. Senior forward Darnell Brodie scored 12 points and hauled in a game-high nine rebounds. Graduate guard Garrett Sturtz contributed 12 points along with two rebounds. 

Graduate guard Roman Penn, also selected to the all-tournament team, added nine points along with a game-high six assists. 

Senior guard Sardaar Calhoun collected eight points. Drake’s bench tallied 16 points improving its record to 15-0 against MVC teams when it scores at least 10 points .

After scoring 30 points in the quarterfinals against UNI, junior all-conference forward Rienk Mast scored just six points – following his lowest scoring output of two points in a Saturday semifinal win against Indiana State. Bradley senior forward Malevy Leons, who became the first player in MVC history to have 50 steals and 50 blocks in a season, scored eight points.

Drake enjoyed a 41-21 intermission lead—the third largest halftime margin in MVC Tournament title game history. Trailing 3-2, Drake went on a 12-0 run to take a 14-3 with :21 left in the first half. The Bulldogs also added a pair of 7-0 runs in the half, the second getting Drake a 41-19 advantage with 1:17 before intermission.

Bradley narrowed the gap early in the second half to 17 points early on with a Zek Montgomery three-pointer, but never got closer. The Bulldogs shot 66.7 percent from the field (14-21) and 75 percent from long range (3-4) in the second half. The Drake defense continued to limit Bradley in the second half, holding the Braves to 40.6 percent shooting after intermission. Bradley was held to 34.5 percent shooting for the game.

“Coming down here healthy for the first time in five years was a good feeling,” DeVries said. “Our bench gave us great production. I felt like the last couple years we got worn down a bit in the second half. Today, we were able to get a lead then go to our bench and keep playing the way we wanted to. We were incredibly determined to get to this spot, not today, but last year. For them to rewarded for all of their hard work is pretty special.”

MVC ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM: Cooper Neese, Indiana State; Rienk Mast, Bradley; JaShon Henry, Bradley; Roman Penn, Drake.

Doug Elgin Award for Most Outstanding Player — Tucker DeVries, Drake

TEAM NOTES
• Drake captured its second MVC Tournament title (other-2008), while advancing to the NCAA Tournament for the sixth time in school history (1969, 1970, 1971, 2008, 2021).
• This will mark the Bulldogs’ second NCAA Tournament appearance under coach Darian DeVries (2021).
• Drake, winning its third straight game, improved its record to 27-7 — the second most single-season wins in school history only trailing the 2007-08 squad which went 28-5.
• The Bulldogs are 26-43 in the MVC Tournament, including a 5-2 record as the No. 2 seed, a 2-2 record in championship games and a 6-9 tournament mark against Bradley. It marked the third consecutive year – and fourth time all-time – that Drake has appeared in the MVC Tournament championship.
• Drake shot 56 percent (28-50), improving to 11-0 when shooting 50 percent or better this season.
• Drake moved to 13-1 this year when opponents shoot less than 40 percent from the field.
• Drake’s bench tallied 16 points improving its record to 15-0 against MVC teams when it scores at least 10 points.
• The Bulldogs improved to 21-3 when leading at half.
• Drake improved to 14-1 this season when scoring 40 or more points in the first half.
• Drake committed just nine turnovers, the 15th time this year they have been under double figures in turnovers.
• Drake has now won 13 of its last 14 games.

INDIVIDUAL NOTES
• Sophomore forward Tucker DeVries enjoyed his 15th 20-plus scoring game (21st in career) with a game-high 22 points, including 13 in the second half.
• DeVries also made three three-point baskets, marking the 15th time he has made three or more treys in a game this season (26th time in career).
• DeVries moved up to No. 3 on the school single season three-point basket list at 87, passing Josh Young (2007-08) and Luke McDonald (2001-02) who each had 86.
• Senior forward Darnell Brodie scored 12 points and hauled in a game-high nine rebounds.
• Graduate guard Garrett Sturtz contributed 12 points along with two rebounds.
• Graduate guard Roman Penn added Nine points along with a game-high six assists.

COURTESY DRAKE ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS