EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Roman Penn broke the program record for assists in a game with 18 helpers during a commanding 97-61 road victory for the Drake men's basketball team over Evansville on Saturday, Jan. 21 inside the Ford Center.
 
"It was a special day for Roman," head coach Darian DeVries said. "I've never seen a player with 18 assists and just one turnover. He played terrific and made great decisions. I was really proud of his floor game."
 
Penn topped the school single-game assists record of 17 set by Nick Norton (current Drake director of basketball operations) on Dec. 1, 2018, against North Dakota State.
 
"It's a blessing," Roman Penn said. "Nick (Norton) has always been there for me and has looked out for me. There was a great flow to the game today and my teammates made me look good."
 
Penn had his third career double-double of 13 points to pair with his 18 assists. Tucker DeVries led all scorers with 23 points while Garrett Sturtz hauled in a game-high 11 rebounds. Okay Djamgouz (11) and Nate Ferguson (10) both scored in double figures off the bench.
 
The Bulldogs began the game with a 7-0 spurt when Garrett Sturtz dropped in a runner to force an early Evansville timeout with 17:34 on the clock. Evansville responded with a 14-2 run aided by three consecutive triples from Gabe Spinelli, Antoine Smith and Marvin Coleman.
 
A two-handed slam dunk by Nate Ferguson moved Drake in front, 16-14 and Okay Djamgouz dialed up a 3-pointer for a 21-16 advantage at the 12:19 mark of the first half. Ferguson cleaned up the glass for a putback and 34-24 lead with 5:55 left before halftime. The deficit for the Purple Aces would not be in the single digits for the remainder of the game.
 
DeVries drilled back-to-back treys to help the margin balloon to 45-26 with 3:06 to play before halftime. The Preseason MVC Player of the Year sank his fifth trifecta of the game with time running out in the first half. Roman Penn collected a double-double in the first half with 10 points and 10 assists. The Bulldogs shot the ball at a 66.7 percent clip (22-for-33) in the opening half of play.
 
Penn found Wilkins at the top of the key for a 3-pointer boosting the Bulldog lead to 67-40 at the 16:30 mark of the second half. Drake did not let up as Garrett Sturtz put together back-to-back buckets to push the visitor's lead over 30 points (84-52) with 7:45 to play in regulation.
 
The focus shifted to assist record watch. Penn tied Norton's record of 17 assists in a single game on a pass leading to a Brodie inside basket. The Calumet City, Ill., native remained in the game and fired another pass down low to Brodie to make history with his 18^th assist of the contest.
 
"Roman is very deserving of that record," Norton said. "There's no better person to get that record than Roman. All the guys love playing with Roman, he makes our offense go."
 
The Bulldogs cruised to a 97-61 rebound victory in Evansville.

Drake will welcome Indiana State to the Knapp Center on Tuesday, Jan. 24 at 8 p.m. 
 
TEAM NOTES
•Drake, which won its second straight road game, improved its record to 15-6 overall, including a 6-4 Missouri Valley Conference mark.
•Drake set season highs in three-point field goal percentage (.519) as well as assists (31). 
•Drake made 14 three-point baskets, improving to 5-0 this season when making 10 or more treys in a game.
•Drake grabbed 42 rebounds, improving to 5-0 this season when collecting 40 or more rebounds.
•Drake is 7-0 this season when scoring 80 or more points and 48-1 under coach Darrian DeVries.
•Drake's bench, which scored seven points in a loss to Missouri State Wednesday, rebounded by collecting 26 points.
•Drake out-rebounded Evansville 42-27, improving its record this season to 12-1 when out-rebounding opponents and 84-14 during the Darrian DeVries coaching era.
•Drake, which owned a 55-34 halftime lead, also improved to 11-3 this season when leading at half and 43-13 during the Darian DeVries era.
•Drake is 5-2 playing on Saturday this season. 
 
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
•This marked the fourth time this season five players have scored in double figures for Drake with the Bulldogs winning all four games.
•Sophomore forward Tucker DeVries scored a game-high 23 points, including 17 in the first half and overtime.
•DeVries made a career-high six three-point baskets, while marking the 11th time this season he has made three or more treys in a game.
•Senior center Darnell Brodie added 17 points, along with eight rebounds.
•Drake graduate guard Roman Penn enjoyed his third career double-double with 13 points and a school-record 18 assists to just one turnover.
•Penn's 18 assists were the second most by a player in NCAA Division I this season trailing only 20 by Yuri Collins of Saint Louis against Tennessee State on Nov. 30, 2022.
•Penn rewrote the previous Drake single-game mark of 17 by Nick Norton (current Drake director of basketball operations) against North Dakota State, Dec. 1, 2018 in Minneapolis, Minn.
•Penn's 18 assists also rank No. 4 on the all-time MVC single-game list with former Bradley star Anthony Manuel who had 18 in three different games.
•Reserve Okay Djamgouz scored 11 points, making three three-point baskets. He had accumulated just three points in his previous five games combined.
•Reserve Nate Ferguson added 10 points — his second double-figure scoring game of the season.
•Graduate guard D.J. Wilkins scored nine points on three three-point baskets - the seventh time he has made three or more treys in a game. He pushed his school career three-point baskets made total to 274.
•Reserve guard Conor Enright dished out a career-high five assists.
•DeVries enjoyed his third straight 20-plus scoring game
and it was his 11th 20-plus scoring game of the season and 16th of his career.
•Penn improved his school career assists mark to 536 assists. 
•Graduate forward Garrett Sturtz grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds, pushing his career rebounding totals to 842 which ranks No. 2 on the Drake career list trailing school record holder Melvin Mathis who grabbed 854 from 1982-86.
•It was Sturtz's sixth double-figure rebounding game of the season and 15th of his career.
 
The Series
•Drake, winning its eighth straight game against Evansville, improved its lead in the series to 31-28.
•The Bulldogs won their third straight game in Evansville while moving their record to 10-17 in games played in Evansville.