EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Led by a game-high 24 points from D.J. Balentine, the Evansville Purple Aces held off the Drake University men's basketball team, 61-52, Tuesday evening at the Ford Center.

Drake (8-19, 5-10 MVC) held the Missouri Valley Conference's top scoring team more than 10 points below its season average, but could not consistently generate enough defensive stops to keep Evansville (19-8, 9-6 MVC) from pulling away in a game that saw the lead change hands six times.

The Bulldogs were led by Jacob Enevold Jensen's (Lunderskov, Denmark) 12 points and seven rebounds while Trevor Berkeley (Tucker, Ga.) added 10 points for his second-straight game in double figures.

“Jacob has struggled as of late and it was good to see him function against one of the better centers in the league,” Giacoletti said of Enevold's play. “That was encouraging, but he had some defensive lapses where he needs to sustain consistency better.”

Despite four turnovers in the first four minutes of the second half, Drake pulled within three points, 34-31, during that span thanks to six points from Berkeley and Enevold. Drake briefly took the lead, 39-37, on a Daniels' basket with 11:52 on the clock, but Evansville rattled off an 8-0 run in the next two minutes, six of the points coming from Adam Wing, to build its lead back to six points, 45-39.

“The shot 20 free throws in the second half and you can't win on the road like that,” said Drake head coach Ray Giacoletti. “The turnover bug, at critical times in the second half, didn't help either. You have to be able to talk and sustain your effort through possessions. They're very difficult to defend and as soon as you relax, they make you pay.”

Evansville ran that lead out to as many as 10 points as Balentine, who was held scoreless for the first 13 minutes of the half started scoring again with six points in the final six minutes of the game to keep the lead at eight or more points down the stretch to stop any potential late-game charges by the Bulldogs.

Drake opened the game crashing the boards with four early offensive rebounds, but converted on just two of those extended possessions, shooting 2-of-10 to open the game. That cool shooting allowed the Aces to pull away for an early five-point lead in the first five minutes of the game. In the ensuing five minutes, Drake tied the game on a pair of jumpers from Daniels and the first two of Ore Arogundade's (Chicago, Ill.) five first-half points. Those baskets were critical to keep pace with the Aces as Balentine scored 11 points through the first 10 minutes of the opening half.

However, UE countered with an 11-2 run to build up a nine-point, 25-16 lead with 5:54 left in the half. The Bulldog defense clamped down, forcing a three-minute scoring drought to draw within four points, 25-21, with 2:49 left in the period. Balentine scored the final points of the half, a three-pointer, to give him 14 first-half points and a 30-23 halftime lead for the Aces.

“He had room early which leads to him feeling good,” Giacoletti said of Balentine. “I wish we could have done a better job with him early and had tougher looks. He's a heck of a player and they do a good job with screens to get him free looks.”

The loss was the Bulldogs' third in their last seven games. The team will try to reverse its fortunes on Sunday against Missouri State with its next-to-last home game of the season which will also serve as the program's 'Senior Day.' Tipoff against the Bears is scheduled for 1:05 p.m.