DES MOINES, Iowa – There's no place like home – especially for Drake men's basketball.

The Bulldogs (12-5, 3-3 in Missouri Valley Conference play) bounced back from two narrow losses on the road with major contributions up and down the lineup in an 82-64 victory over Murray State (9-7, 4-2) at the Knapp Center on Saturday evening, handing the MVC newcomers just their second loss in league play.
 
"It's amazing how much better everybody feels when shots go down," head coach Darian DeVries said. "I thought we have practiced similar to how it looked today. I thought our ball movement was great tonight and it led to quality shots. Sardaar (Calhoun) came in and gave us a great lift."
 
D.J. Wilkins led five players in double figures with 17 points as Drake won its 11^th straight game at home and improved 46-1 under coach Darian DeVries when scoring at least 80 points. Wilkins was on target from the start and knocked down 6-of-10 shots, including 5-of-8 from 3-point range to match his season high from distance.
 
Darnell Brodie added 16 points, pulled down seven rebounds and tacked on an assist and a block. The big fella showed off several impressive post moves in making 7-of-11 shots.
 
Sardaar Calhoun also scored 16 points in a solid performance off the bench, going 4-for-8 from 3-point range and shooting 5-for-10 overall.
 
Veteran Garrett Sturtz came through with 12 points and 11 rebounds for his 12^th career double-double, while Tucker DeVries chipped in with 11 points, nine rebounds, three assists and a steal.
 
"The balance was great," Darian DeVries said. "Darnell (Brodie) was a force inside. Garrett (Sturtz) did some really good 'Garrett' things in the second half. We have so many people who can hit shots."
 
Roman Penn added four points and handed out four assists to reach 501 in his Drake career, adding to his school-record total.
 
Another key was production from the bench, which had been lacking in recent games. Led by Calhoun, the Bulldogs' reserves accounted for 22 points, six rebounds and four assists. The Bulldogs got just 13 points combined from the bench in the three previous games.
 
"I love the energy we got from the bench," Penn said. "It was a team effort and I love the mindset we have right now. We have no quit in us and I love the way we bounced back today."
 
JaCobi Wood led Murray State (9-7, 4-2) with 20 points and Brian Moore Jr. added 14. The Bulldogs did a nice job defensively against the team's leading scorer, Rob Perry, holding him to 7 points on 3-for-6 shooting. He had been averaging 15.5.
 
Murray State, led by former Iowa State coach Steve Prohm, moved to the MVC this season after 74 years in the Ohio Valley Conference.
 
With Wood scoring an early 10 points, Murray State took a 12-9 lead 5 ½ minutes into the game. But that edge would not last long.
 
DeVries fed Conor Enright for a layup and Wilkins buried a 3 from the right corner, launching the Bulldogs on a game-turning run. They rattled off 15 straight points and outscored the Racers 20-2 in building a 29-14 lead. Murray State went more than 7 minutes without a field goal, missing nine straight shots.
 
Drake's lead fell below double figures only once after that, Murray State drawing to 34-25 with 4:01 left in the half. A Wilkins 3 and a DeVries jump hook quickly took the lead back to double digits and the Bulldogs went on to build a 44-29 halftime lead.
 
A 6-0 run stretched the lead to 57-38 and things were going so well for the Bulldogs that with the shot clock about to expire, Calhoun launched a runner from behind the arc and the ball dropped through the basket.
 
Penn got assist No. 500 as a Bulldog – he had 63 in his one season at Siena – when he found Sturtz in the left corner and Garrett buried his sixth 3 of the season. Penn later fed Calhoun for a  trey from the right corner that gave the Bulldogs their biggest lead, 76-55 with 6:08 left.
 
"It was great to have everyone contribute and play hard," Wilkins said. "We're grateful for tonight and being able to win in front of our home fans."
 
The game was the second installment in the university's Hometown Team Weekend. The women's team started things off with a 94-63 victory over Belmont on Friday and night and will wrap things up by hosting Murray State at 2 p.m. Sunday.
 
The men return to action on Tuesday, Jan. 10 at UIC. Tip-off time is 7 p.m.
 
TEAM NOTES
•Drake, which snapped a two-game losing streak. improved its record 12-5 while evening its Missouri Valley Conference record to 3-3.
•The Bulldogs earned their 11th consecutive victory dating back to last year.
•This marked the third game this season with five Drake players scoring double figures, improving to 3-0 when that feat occurred.
•Drake made 11 three-point baskets, marking the third time this season the Bulldogs have made 10 or more treys in a game.
•Drake's bench scored 22 points, doubling its entire combined total of 11 points from the previous two games.
•Drake improved its record in the Knapp Center to 77-9 since the 2017-18 campaign.
•Drake out-rebounded Murray State, 41-25, improving its record to 9-0 this season when out-rebounding opponents and 81-13 during the Darrian DeVries coaching era.
•Drake improved its record to 9-2 when leading at half and 82-12 during the Darian DeVries era.
•Drake is 46-1 during the Darian DeVries coaching era when scoring 80 or more points, including 5-0 this season.
•Drake moved to 3-2 playing on Saturday this season. 
 
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
•Graduate guard D.J. Wilkins led a balanced scoring attack with 17 points, including 12 points in the first half. It marked Wilkins seventh double-figure scoring game of the season, including third straight.
•Forward Sardaar Calhoun came off the bench scoring 16 points, including 12 in the second half.  His point total eclipsed his combined scoring output of 10 points in his previous four games.
•Center Darnell Brodie added 16 points and seven rebounds.
•Graduate swingman Garrett Sturtz had 12 points and a game-high 11 rebounds for his third double-double this season and 12th of his career. Sturtz was coming off a season-low three rebounds at Southern Illinois last Wednesday.
•Sophomore swingman Tucker DeVries netted 11 points while collecting nine rebounds and tying a season-high with three assists. 
•Graduate guard Roman Penn collected a game-high four assists to push his school career assists mark to 501 assists. 
•Sturtz pushed his career rebounding totals to 811, trailing Jonathan Cox (2005-09), who ranks No. 2 on the Drake career list at 817.
•Wilkins tied a season-high with five three-point baskets. He is shooting a combined 66.7 percent from three point range (10-15) in his last three games.
•Wilkins increased his school career-record three-point basket made mark to 268.
•Calhoun made four three-point baskets, marking the third time this season he has made four or more treys in a game. 
•Brodie is shooting 71.4 percent from the floor (15-21) in his last two home games while averaging 17.5 points.