ST. LOUIS -- Freshman Tucker DeVries made two free throws with 1.1 seconds left in overtime to power the Bulldogs to a 79-78 victory past Missouri State on Saturday in the semifinal round of the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament at the Enterprise Center.

Drake advanced to the championship of the MVC Tournament for the third time in program history, including the second straight year under coach Darian DeVries.

The Bulldogs, winning a season best seventh straight game, improved to 24-9, marking the second straight season the program has won 24 games and fifth time in school history. Missouri State, which had a three-game winning streak snapped, slipped to 23-10. 

DeVries scored seven of Drake's 11 points in overtime, making four free throws and a big three-point basket to give Drake a 77-74 advantage with 1:27 left. The Bears responded with baskets from Donovan Clay and Gaige Prim to regain the lead at 78-77 with nine seconds left. 

DeVries was fouled by Mosley with 1.1 seconds left, hitting both free throws for the victory.

DeVries led Drake with 23 points-his fifth 20-plus scoring game of the season. It also marked his 26th double-digit scoring game of the season. 
Clay hit a layup from the right paint with 0.4 seconds left to send the game into overtime at 68-68. The Bears had owned a 66-61 lead following two free throws by Isiaih Mosley with 2:09 left in regulation, but Drake guard Roman Penn went on a tear, scoring seven straight points including five free throws to give the Bulldogs a 68-66 lead with 27.4 seconds remaining.

Penn added a season-high 19 points, including a season-high two treys, along with a season-high seven rebounds. He also dished out six assists pushing his career school total to 424. 

Tremell Murphy collected 15 points - his highest scoring output in the latest 10 games- while grabbing seven rebounds. He scored Drake's first four points of overtime.

Garrett Strutz scored 13 points, while grabbing a team-high eight rebounds. He made his first three-point basket over the last 11 games, helping Drake improve its record to 7-1 when that feat occurred. Sturtz also had two assists pushing his career total to 150. ShanQuan Hemphill had a season-high three steals.

Drake has an MVC season best 6-1 record in games decided by three points or less this season, including a 5-0 mark when the outcome was two points or less. 

Drake also set a school record by playing its sixth overtime game of the season, owning a 4-2 record.  

The Bulldogs grabbed 13 offensive rebounds, reaching double figures in that category for the 20th game this season, including 10th in the last 15 outings. 
Drake tied a season low with five turnovers. Drake made six 3-point baskets. The Bulldogs were a combined 4-31 beyond the arc in two previous games vs. Missouri State this season. In all three matchups this year, the team that was down at halftime ended up winning the game. 
Mosley finished with 27 points for Missouri State, while Prim netted 21.

There were 10 lead changes and five ties in the first half before a rebound basket by reserve guard Isaac Haney gave Missouri State a 33-32 intermission lead. The biggest lead by both teams was four points. 

Mosley scored a game-high 15 points, including seven straight points, to give the Bears a 31-28 lead. Baskets from Penn and Hemphill allowed Drake to regain the lead before Haney's heroics. Murphy led Drake with nine points, including seven straight in a 2:18 span late in the first half.

The Bulldogs will face Loyola in a 1 p.m. tip off with the game being televised nationally by CBS. It will be a rematch of last year's MVC Tournament championship game won by Loyola, 75-65. It also will be the first time the No. 3 seed plays the No. 4 seed in the championship of the MVC Tournament.

Fans in St. Louis can stop by the pregame pep rally before the MVC Championship game located at Ballpark Village - Skybox. Doors open at 10:45 a.m., band and cheerleaders performs at 11 a.m. and the team send off is at 11:20 a.m.