ST. LOUIS, MO – Drake withstood a furious second half rally by top-seeded Indiana State to capture its second straight State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament title 84-80, Sunday at the Enterprise Center.

No. 2 seed Drake, playing in its fourth straight MVC Tournament championship game under head coach Darian DeVries, advances to its seventh NCAA Tournament appearance with the championship. The Bulldogs are now 28-6 on the season.

Indiana State, the MVC’s regular-season champion and tournament top seed, falls to 28-6 on the season. They will await their NCAA Tournament future when the announcement comes next Sunday, March 17. 

Tucker DeVries, the two-time MVC Player of the Year, scored 27 points and added seven rebounds in the winning effort. He walked away with MVC Tournament Most Outstanding Player honors for the second consecutive year. 

DeVries had plenty of support. Center Darnell Brodie contributed 17 points and a team-high eight rebounds while Atin Wright added 17 points, as well. 

Five Sycamores scored in double figures, paced by Jayson Kent’s 22 points and nine rebounds. Isaiah Swope and Robbie Avila added 19 and 15, respectively.

Drake used torrid shooting to break up a close game in the first half, using a 22-4 run to go up by as many as 14 in the first half. The run was aided by 15 points and three consecutive three-pointers by Wright. 

Facing a 67-49 deficit nine minutes into the second half, Indiana State battled back behind the inside play of Kent and Avila and Swope’s outside shooting. The Sycamores outscored Drake 24-5 over the next five minutes to take their first lead of the game since the opening minutes. 

With the score tied 76-76, baskets by DeVries and Conor Enright in the last two minutes gave Drake a 81-76 cushion that they never relinquished. The margin increased to seven points with 15 seconds off before Indiana State’s Julian Larry closed the scoring with a jumper at the buzzer.  

Drake head coach Darian DeVries earned his 150th victory during a six-year run with the program. He has also guided the Bulldogs to four straight MVC Tournament championship games, and led Drake to a 13-3 record in MVC Tournament play.

All-Tournament Team
Tucker DeVries, Drake  (Doug Elgin Award - Most Outstanding Player)
Atin Wright, Drake
Robbie Avila, Indiana State
Ryan Conwell, Indiana State
Connor Hickman, Bradley

Elite 17 Award:  Masen Miller, Indiana State