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Composite Calendar
Sturtz vs. MSU
Drake Athletics
69
Missouri St. MSU 10-11,4-4 MVC
71
Winner Drake DRA 15-6,5-3 MVC
Missouri St. MSU
10-11,4-4 MVC
69
Final
71
Drake DRA
15-6,5-3 MVC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Missouri St. MSU 25 44 69
Drake DRA 37 34 71

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | Drake Athletic Communications

Men's Basketball Wins 15th Straight Game At the Knapp Center

The Bulldogs improved to 5-3 in league play with the victory over Missouri State

The Drake University Men's Basketball team extended its home win streak to 15 games with a 71-69 victory over the Missouri State Bears on Sunday afternoon at the Knapp Center. 

Drake held off a late Missouri State rally behind a three-pointer from Roman Penn with 21 seconds left to put the Bulldogs (15-6, 5-3 MVC) up by four points. 

"Coach [Marty] Richter told me 'just shoot it with confidence because you know you can make it,'" Penn said. "We ran that play. I was open I stepped into it and you know I was able to hit the shot."

Penn finished with a team-high 17 points, eight rebounds, eight assists and two steals. D.J. Wilkins matched a career-high from the arc with four three-pointers and finished with 14 points, five rebounds and four assists. Garrett Sturtz added 10 points and seven rebounds. 

"I'm proud of the guys and  D.J. got going again from three so that was great to see them with some confidence," said Drake head coach Darian DeVries. "That was huge for us as well in that second half but overall, you have to find a way to win and these guys made enough plays to do that." 

Missouri State trailed by as many as 13 points in the second half but Gaige Primm scored 23 points and 12 rebounds to help the Bears (10-11, 4-4 MVC) trim that margin in the final minutes. Keandre Cook added 12 points and 13 rebounds. 

Primm helped keep Drake's Liam Robbins under wraps, holding him to nine points, six rebounds and three blocks. Those three blocks moved Robbins into a tie for most blocks in a season at Drake with 56 and also moved him into fourth-place all-time at Drake with 91 career blocks.

Missouri State also overcame an additional setback when All-MVC forward Tulio Da Silva was ejected from the game with 2:01 left in the first half due to a flagrant foul in a very physical contest. 

The game began as a track meet, with minimal stoppages in play and no timeouts until the 11:35 mark in the first half when the score was knotted at 16-16. 

Following that timeout, Garret Sturtz scored six of his points during an 11-2 run that helped Drake take a 25-18 lead while holding the Bears scoreless for more than four minutes. 

Missouri State drew as close as four points, but Drake stretched its lead out to double-figures and a 9-2 Drake run gave the Bulldogs a 37-25 lead at halftime. All seven Bulldogs that stepped on the court scored in the opening half.

Drake maintained a similar lead for most of the second half, but a three by Ja'Monta Black with 1:22 remaining cut it to a three-point game, and a pair of free throws on the Bears' ensuing possession cut the Drake lead to 66-65. 

On the next possession, Penn responded with his only second three-pointer of the game, pushing the lead back to four, 69-65. After a Missouri State layup, Penn was fouled and sent to the line where he made 1-of-2 free throws to put Drake up 70-67. 

"Roman's three with us up one to put us up four was a huge shot for us," DeVries said. "And ultimately, probably the difference-maker in the game."

Another Missouri State layup cut the lead to one, and a foul sent Anthony Murphy to the line with four seconds left. Murphy made 1-of-2 free throws and Missouri State's three-point attempt as time expired missed its mark to preserve Drake's home win streak.

"The support we get is what ultimately makes a home court what it is and that's what we have right now," DeVries said. "Hopefully it will continue to grow and the crowds will continue to swell for us."

Next, the Bulldogs travel to Terre Haute to take on the Indiana State Sycamores, before returning home to host SIU and debut the team's Hometown Team Uniforms.





 
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