DES MOINES, Iowa – The Drake University men's basketball team defeated Indiana State, 80-76, for its first Missouri Valley Conference win of the season and 12th-straight home victory Saturday at the Knapp Center. 
 
The Bulldogs had one of their best offensive showings, shooting 51.9 percent from the field and 47.6 percent from the three-point arc to snap Indiana State's eight-game win streak. 
 
"It was a great game to get that first win in conference play," said Drake head coach Darian DeVries. "It was a high-scoring game with lots of runs and Indiana State has been playing well. I'm proud of our guys' effort and ability to close that game out."
 
D.J. Wilkins led the Drake (11-4, 1-1 MVC) offense with 16 points and five assists while Liam Robbins was 6-of-9 for 15 points along with six blocks, the second-most in school history. Roman Penn also added 16 points and six assists and Jonah Jackson drained four three-pointers.
 
Indiana State was paced by 21 points and six rebounds from freshman Jake LaRavia and 19 points from Tyreke Key.
 
Anthony Murphy, who set a career-high in free throws made gave the Bulldogs an early 11-point lead in the second half with a pair of free throws. Minutes later, Wilkins drained back-to-back three-pointers to keep Drake's lead in double figures before Indiana State pulled within a possession six times in the final 10 minutes. Murphy finished with 12 points and had the potentially game-winning block on defense when he batted Key's shot in the paint off the glass with six seconds left and a four-point lead.
 
"I felt our defensive effort was there, we have some things to clean up, obviously," Wilkins said. "I like what we did on the defensive end in the second half."  
Three Bulldogs dominated the floor in the first half as Penn, Robbins, and Jackson contributed 31 of the teams 49 first-half points. The trio scored the first points for the team and helped take an early 11-point lead before Indiana State stormed back to take the lead briefly.
 
"This was a game of runs and Indiana State scores too easily for you to get comfortable," DeVries said. "We had a couple of leads and they came roaring right back. It was a hard-fought game and in this league, there's probably 16 more of these coming up."
 
The Bulldogs are back in the Knapp Center Tuesday, Jan. 7 to take on the Loyola Ramblers in a nationally televised contest featuring the two defending MVC Champions.
 
"It should be a great atmosphere in the Knapp Center again," DeVries said. "I thought our crowd was tremendous again tonight, and we're looking forward to another big crowd Tuesday night."