PEORIA, Ill. – The Drake men's basketball team made enough plays late in the contest for a 74-67 road win over Bradley at Carver Arena on Saturday evening to clinch its sixth straight season of at least 20 wins.

"I thought our mindset coming into the game was terrific," head coach Darian DeVries said. "We had a tough effort collectively. Our guys executed when we needed to and got some key stops. It was truly a team win and we had to fight down the end."
 
The Bulldogs came out ready to play with Darnell Brodie sinking a hook shoot from the baseline to force an early Bradley timeout just ahead of the under-16 break as the visitors led 13-4. Tucker DeVries launched a three-pointer from straightaway to accumulate 11 points and a 23-13 edge with 11:04 still to play in the first half.
 
Offensively, things were clicking for the Bulldogs as Brodie kicked the ball out to a wide-open Carlos Rosario in the corner to push Drake's advantage back to double digits (28-18) just past the halfway point of the opening half.
 
Battling inside, Nate Ferguson dunked it for a 37-23 edge with 3:30 left before halftime. Malevy Leons got hot for the Braves, connecting on a pair of treys as Bradley trailed the Bulldogs by a score of 41-30 at halftime.
 
Drake ventured on a 9-0 run capped off by a DeVries steal and layup for a 50-34 lead nearly three minutes into the second half. The momentum shifted to the home sideline after Bradley responded with a 15-0 run starting at the 15:45 mark that trimmed the deficit to 55-53 before DeVries ended the run with a triple at the top of the key off a screen with 9:42 left.
 
In the back half of the second stanza, both teams traded blows until Brodie re-entered the game with three fouls.
 
"I was itching to get back in," Darnell Brodie said. "Coach (DeVries) told me to go in and be aggressive. We were locked in and stayed focused down the stretch."
 
With the Bulldogs leading 61-56 and 7:19 still ticking, Brodie went on to outscore the Braves 13-11 for all of Drake's final 13 points en route to a 74-67 road victory.
 
"Brodie down the stretch was terrific," Darian DeVries said. "He was dominant and wouldn't be denied."

The Bulldogs head to Evansville next to face the Purple Aces at the Ford Center on Tuesday, Feb. 13 at 7 p.m.
 
Team Notes
•Drake, earning its second straight win, improved to 20-5 overall, while maintaining second place in the Missouri Valley Conference with an 11-3 record.
•This marked the sixth straight season Drake has won 20 or more games — all during the Darian DeVries coaching era.
•Drake leveled its road record to 4-4 while snapping a two-game road losing skid.
•Drake held Bradley to 67 points - its lowest point total in 13 home games this season.
•Drake outrebounded Bradley, 35-27, moving to 12-1 when outrebounding opponents this season.
•Drake enjoyed a 41-30 halftime lead, improving to 16-1 when leading at intermission. 
•This also marked Drake's 10th double-digit halftime lead this season.
•Drake's 41 points in the first half marked the 10th time the Bulldogs scored 40-plus points in a first half this season.
•Drake's bench outscored Bradley, 18-8.
•Drake improved to 7-1 when playing on Saturday this season.
•The Bulldogs are 4-2 this season wearing their alternate gray uniforms.
 
Individual Notes
•Forward Tucker DeVries, enjoying his 13th 20-plus scoring game this season (34th time in career) scored a game-high 22 points, while moving into No. 5 on the Drake career scoring list at 1,634 points, passing former All-American guard Willie McCarter (1966-1969) who scored 1,626 points.
•DeVries also shared game-high rebounding honors with nine boards.
•DeVries made three three-point baskets, marking the 13th time this season (39th time in career) he has made three or more treys in a game.
•Center Darnell Brodie added 19 points, including 13 in the second half. 
•Brodie scored Drake's last 13 points of the game, including five free throws, in the final 7:19. 
•Brodie outscored the entire Bradley team, 13-11, in the last 7:19. 
•Brodie also grabbed eight rebounds to push his career total to 852 which ranks No. 3 on the Drake career rebounding list.
•Junior guard Atin Wright contributed 10 points, including six in the first half.
•Reserve center Nate Ferguson scored a season-high 10 points, including eight in the first half.
•Sophomore guard Conor Enright, returning to the starting lineup after missing Wednesday's game with Southern Illinois because of illness, scored three points while collecting a career-high 10 rebounds along with a career-high eight assists.
•Reserve guard Colby Garland, who missed the previous four games (knee), had three assists, two steals and two rebounds.
 
The Series
•This marked the Bulldogs' first win in Peoria since earning an 80-71 win on Feb. 26, 2021.
•Drake, winning its second straight game against Bradley (third in last four meetings), still trails in the series, 93-71 including a 24-55 mark in games played in Peoria.
•Darian DeVries improved his career coaching record against Bradley to 8-7.