DES MOINES, Iowa – The Drake men's basketball team put on an offensive show against the best defensive team in the Missouri Valley Conference, rolling past Bradley 86-61 at the Knapp Center on Saturday night for the Bulldogs' 12^th straight victory at home.

Four players scored in double figures, led by 28 from Tucker DeVries, as the Bulldogs (14-5, 5-3) shot 56 percent from the field and knocked down 12 3-pointers in running up the largest margin of victory over Bradley since a 113-78 win in Des Moines on Feb. 11, 1971.

It also was the most points Bradley has allowed this season. The Braves (12-7, 5-3) came in giving up only 58.9 points a game and holding opponents to 38 percent shooting.
DeVries fell one short of his career high in the program's annual Suit Up Against Pediatric Cancer Game. The 6-foot-7 sophomore made 10-of-19 shots, including 5-for-8 from 3-point range, and added two rebounds, two steals and an assist. It's the eighth time he has scored at least 21 points this season.

Outstanding efforts off the bench from Sardaar Calhoun and Conor Enright complemented DeVries in the 161^st meeting in the league's oldest rivalry. Calhoun drilled 4-of-7 3-point shots and 6-for-9 overall in scoring 16 points. He also grabbed a career-best six rebounds.

Enright was just as sharp scoring a career-high 13 points – all in the first half -- on 5-for-8 shooting. The redshirt freshman went 3-for-5 from 3-point range as the Bulldogs finished 12-for-25 from distance.

"We got off to a bit of a slow start," head coach Darian DeVries said. "Then Conor (Enright), Sardaar (Calhoun) and Nate (Ferguson) gave us energy. When we get production from our bench it really helps then you can keep subbing guys in and out with no letup. Tonight was a great example of that. We had a really good rotation tonight with guys coming and doing their jobs."

Darnell Brodie also came up big with 10 points on 4-for-4 shooting, seven rebounds, two assists and a block. Graduate guard Roman Penn matched his career high with 10 rebounds, handed out seven assists, made a couple of steals and scored seven points.

Duke Deen led Bradley with 21 points, while Malevy Leons and Rienk Mast each scored 10. Mast, the Braves' season leader with a 13-point average, got three of his baskets after Drake had built a 24-point lead. The Bulldogs held him to 1-for-6 shooting in the first half, which ended with Drake ahead 45-23.

Drake held Bradley to 38 percent shooting by keeping the Braves away from the basket for much of the game. Bradley could not counter from the perimeter, making just 3-of-19 shots form deep in the first half and 8-of-31 for the game. The Bulldogs outrebounded the Braves 36-28 and outscored them 33-8 in bench points.

Drake and Bradley were picked 1-2 in the MVC's preseason poll and it looked early on as if it might be a tight game all the way through.

Deen scored seven quick points to stake the Braves to a 10-4 lead and Bradley led 13-9 after Leons connected from deep.  DeVries answered with his first 3 of the night and the Braves would not be ahead much longer.

With the Bulldogs trailing 15-12, Enright drove aggressively for a basket and Calhoun floated in a bucket on another drive, launching a 10-0 run that Calhoun finished with a 3 for a 22-15 lead. Drake led the rest of the way.

A 7-0 burst made it 31-9 and Enright and Calhoun each buried two 3-pointers in a 12-0 run that stretched the lead to 43-21. After a Bradley layup with 48 seconds left in the half, Drake called time to set up a play and it looked as though the Bulldogs might not get a shot. But DeVries backed his way into the lane and hit a tough fadeaway to beat the shot clock and send the Bulldogs into intermission with a commanding 45-23 lead.

The Bulldogs continued to spread the scoring around in the second half and kept Bradley from making any kind of serious run. The Braves never got closer than 16 points and Drake finished with a flourish, DeVries connecting on back-to-back 3s and Calhoun making a final trey from the top of the key with 30 seconds left.

"I feel like we've been trending in the right direction for a while," Darian DeVries said. "Getting bench production was huge for us and completely changed the game."

Drake has won three straight after starting the calendar year with two disappointing losses on the road. The Bulldogs will have a chance to avenge one of those losses when Missouri State visits the Knapp Center on Wednesday night. Game time is 7 p.m.

TEAM NOTES
•Drake, winning its third straight game, improved its record 14-5 while pushing its Missouri Valley Conference record to 5-3.
•The Bulldogs earned their 12th consecutive home victory dating back to last year.
•This marked the sixth game this season with four players scoring double figures, improving to 5-1 when that feat occurred.
•Drake made 12 three-point baskets, marking the fourth time this season the Bulldogs have made 10 or more treys in a game including a second straight home game. Drake is 4-0 when making 10 or more treys.
•The 12 three-point baskets were the second highest by Drake this season, trailing only 18 against St. Ambrose.
•Drake shot 56.1 percent (32-57) from the floor, marking just the fourth time the Bulldogs shot over 50 percent in a game this season, including the first time in the MVC.
•Drake's bench scored 33 points - the third highest single-game total by the reserves this season
•Drake improved its record in the Knapp Center to 78-9 since the 2017-18 campaign.
•Drake outrebounded Bradley, 36-28, improving its record to 11-0 this season when out rebounding opponents and 83-13 during the Darian DeVries coaching era.
•Drake improved its record to 10-2 when leading at half and 83-12 during the Darian DeVries era.
•Drake's 86 points were the most allowed by Bradley this season and 45 points tied the most allowed by a Bradley opponent in the first half—also by Utah State and Auburn.
•Drake is 47-1 during the Darian DeVries coaching era when scoring 80 or more points, including 6-0 this season.
•Drake moved to 4-2 playing on Saturday this season. 
 
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
•Sophomore forward Tucker DeVries scored a game-high 28 points, including 18 in the second half.
•Reserve forward Sardaar Calhoun had 16 points and a career-high six rebounds.
•Freshman redshirt Conor Enright came off the bench to score a career-high 13 points — all in the first half.
•Senior center Darnell Brodie added 10 points, making all four shots. 
•Graduate guard Roman Penn grabbed a career-high 10 rebounds, while dishing out a game-high seven assists.
•Graduate guard D.J. Wilkins tied a season-high with five assists.
•DeVries enjoyed his ninth 20-plus scoring game this season and 14th in his career. Drake is 8-1 this season when he scores 20-plus points.
•DeVries also collected two steals, marking the ninth time this season with two thefts in a game. 
•Calhoun collected a career-high six rebounds, doubling his entire output of three rebounds in his combined previous three games.
•Calhoun drilled four three-point baskets, marking the third time this season he has made three-plus treys in a game. 
•Enright made a career-high three three-point baskets.
•Brodie is shooting 76 percent (19-25) in his last three home games.
•Penn improved his school career assists mark to 516 assists. 
•Graduate forward Garrett Sturtz grabbed four rebounds, pushing his career rebounding totals to 825 which ranks No. 2 on the Drake career list trailing school record holder Melvin Mathis who grabbed 854 from 1982-86.
 
THE SERIES
•Drake snapped a three-game losing streak to Bradley, but the Braves still lead the all-time series, 92-69.
•Drake owns a 43-30 series lead in games played in Des Moines.
•Tonight marked Drake's widest victory margin over Bradley in the series since the Bulldogs earned a 113-78 victory in Des Moines, Feb. 11, 1971.