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DES MOINES, IA - February 19: The Drake Bulldogs play against the Valparaiso Crusaders during a Missouri Valley Conference men basketball game at Knapp Center on Wednesday, February 19, 2020 in Des Moines, Iowa. (Photo by Dylan Heuer)
Dylan Heuer
75
Valparaiso Valpo 14-14,7-8 MVC
77
Winner Drake DRA 18-10,8-7 MVC
Valparaiso Valpo
14-14,7-8 MVC
75
Final
77
Drake DRA
18-10,8-7 MVC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 OT 1 F
Valparaiso Valpo 22 47 6 75
Drake DRA 40 29 8 77

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

Penn's Gamewinner Defeats Valpo In Overtime

Bulldogs win their 14th game at the Knapp Center this year, tying the program record.

DES MOINES, Iowa - Roman Penn's game-winning jumper with 3.7 seconds left pushed the Drake University men's basketball team past Valparaiso, 77-75, in overtime Wednesday night at the Knapp Center.

Penn's game-winner from the right side of the top of the lane capped an 18-point night for him to go along with his five rebounds, three assists and four steals. Liam Robbins earned his fifth double-double of the season with 21 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks while Garrett Sturtz had 15 points and six rebounds.

"I thought our guys did a great job in the overtime of making the plays that they needed to make to win the game," said Drake head coach Darian DeVries. "Roman hit the big shot to end it after missing one at the end of regulation and Anthony Murphy had another huge play as a senior, making a big-time block."

Murphy's block came with 33 seconds left when he pinned a Valpo shot against the glass to keep the score at 75-75. Sturtz collected the rebound and Penn dribbled down the shot clock before elevating over the defense to sink the eventual game-winner for Drake (18-10, 8-7 MVC). 

However, Valparaiso (14-14, 7-8 MVC) still had enough time to manufacture a solid look at a buzzer-beater of their own. But Donovan Clay's three-point attempt from the left wing was just barely off the mark as time expired.

Valparaiso rallied back from a 19-point second-half deficit behind a 20-point night from Mileek McMillian that included six three-pointers. Javon Freeman-Liberty added 19 points, seven rebounds and six assists.

Drake built that lead over the final nine minutes of the second half when it used a 21-2 run that included 16-unanswered points to close the half to take a 40-22 lead into halftime. D.J. Wilkins scored six of his 11 points during that run and Noah Thomas had five. However, it was Murphy's thunderous one-hand slam off a Sturtz pass with 47 seconds left that defined the massive turn of momentum in the Knapp Center. 

"We were getting downhill and getting on top of them quickly," DeVries said of the first-half run. "We were getting stops, which makes it easier, so we're taking the ball off the rebound and getting the ball up the floor and then we're in attack mode and we finished the half with like 15 or 16 straight stops on defense."

But that momentum quickly shifted back midway through the second half as Valparaiso clamped down and allowed just two Drake field goals in the final 10 minutes of the game.

However, Drake converted on 26 of its 34 free-throw attempts in the game to keep the Crusaders from overtaking the Bulldogs.

"We're getting to the free-throw line more because we're going to be more aggressive," DeVries said. "We're being powerful on our drives, we're playing smarter playing off the two feet, getting people in the air with shot fakes. But overall, we're just trying to get in the paint more, and I think our guys have done a good job of that."

Valpo pulled back within a possession at 62-60 with five minutes to play on a 14-3 run that featured a trio of three-pointers from McMillan and one from Fazekas to force Drake to take a second timeout during the run. 

Valpo erased the Drake advantage and tied the game at 69-69 on a pair of Donovan Clay free throws with 19 seconds left. Drake played for the game-winner, but Penn's drive to the rim from the left side as time expired came up empty, forcing the Bulldogs' first overtime period of the season.

Drake pulled out to a three-point, 75-72, lead in the first 2:30 of overtime on a Sturtz drive before Valpo tied the game on three free throws to set up the dramatic final minute.

The win was the Bulldogs' 14th at the Knapp Center this season, equaling the program record for wins in the 27-year-old building and the team's 18th win in its last 19 games at home. The team takes to the road for its next two critical Valley contests before returning home to host UNI Feb. 29 at 5 p.m. in the Knapp Center on ESPN2.
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