DES MOINES, Iowa – Drake sophomore Joseph Yesufu reached a career high for the second straight game with 32 points and the Drake University men's basketball team began its final home series of the year with an impressive performance, shooting a season-high 65.4 percent in an 85-71 victory over Evansville at the Knapp Center on Sunday afternoon.
   
The Bulldogs broke it open with an 18-3 run midway through the first half and improved to 22-2 overall and 13-2 in the Missouri Valley Conference, matching the 2007-08 team for the best start in program history. The 22 victories equal the fourth most in school history.
   
Yesufu connected on a succession of drives, pull-up jumpers and 3-pointers in topping his previous best of 20 points in a victory at UNI last Wednesday. The 6-foot guard made nine straight shots during one stretch and finished 12-for-14 from the field, including 5-for-7 from 3-point range. The five 3s also are a career best. 
   
Before last Wednesday's game, Yesufu's best had been 18 points against UNI at the Knapp Center on Feb. 10. His 32 points are the most by a Drake player this season.
 
"Joe had a special night," said Drake head coach Darian DeVries. "That's one of the best ones I've seen for a while. It was fun to see him get in that zone and the guys continue to feed him."
   
D.J. Wilkins added 13 points for the Bulldogs on 5-for-6 shooting with a trio of 3-pointers. Tremell Murphy scored nine points and Garrett Sturtz had eight points, six rebounds and three assists. Darnell Brodie also scored eight points while playing only 8 minutes.
 
"I thought the guys played well offensively tonight," DeVries said. "The ball really moved and the guys shot it well."
 
Starting point guard Roman Penn left the game early in the second half with an injury and did not return. The Bulldogs already had been playing without leading scorer ShanQuan Hemphill, who underwent surgery on Feb. 11 for a fracture in his left foot. Penn's status will be evaluated by the team's medical staff Monday.
   
Shamar Givance led Evansville (8-13, 6-9 MVC) with 19 points, while Evan Kuhlman and Iyen Enaruna each scored 13 for the Purple Aces, who lost their fifth straight. The Bulldogs held Evansville's leading scorer, Jawaun Newton, to eight points on 3-for-9 shooting. Newton came in averaging 13.1 points and had made 71 percent of his shots inside the 3-point arc since Jan. 2. 
   
Drake also took away Evansville's 3-point shooting. The Purple Aces came in averaging 10 3-point field goals a game. The Bulldogs held them to 5-for-21 from long range.
   
Despite making its first four shots and six of its first seven, Drake trailed 13-12 nearly 7 minutes into the game. But the Bulldogs scored 18 of the next 21 points and controlled the game from then on.
   
Four straight 3-point baskets – two by Wilkins and one each by Murphy and Yesufu – keyed the spurt. Yesufu also drove for two layups as Drake raced to a 30-16 lead. An 11-2 run that included 3s by Penn and Yesufu stretched the lead to 47-27 and the Bulldogs led 47-30 at half.
 
"He's so fast and hard to stay in front of," DeVries said of Yesufu. "Offensively he's got all the tools and you're starting to see that come out as he gets more comfortable."
   
When Brodie dropped in a jump hook and Murphy buried a 3 to start the second half, the lead ballooned to 22. The highlight play of the second half came when Yesufu stole the ball, dribbled into the frontcourt and lobbed a pass to Issa Samake for a dunk, making it 66-41. 
   
Yesufu's 3 from NBA range at the top of the key gave the Bulldogs their biggest lead, 79-48, with 8:31 left. When he made his final basket, a jumper with 6:31 remaining, Drake led 81-54 and DeVries was able to rest his regulars for the final 6 minutes.
 
That last basket capped a stretch in which Yesufu scored 13 of Drake's 15 points.
   
The two teams meet again at 6 p.m. Monday at the Knapp Center. The Bulldogs conclude the regular season at Bradley next Friday and Saturday, Feb. 26 and 27.