With eight minutes and 38 seconds remaining in the Missouri Valley Conference’s Arch Madness championship game, Drake commanded a 69-53 lead over the Indiana State Sycamores. The Bulldogs appeared en route to repeat as MVC champions with an 18-point lead at the 10 minute mark in the second half, but momentum abruptly shifted. By the three minute, 36 second mark in the second half, the Sycamores had stormed back to take a 73-72 lead.
Aided by 14 quick points from second-team all-conference guard Isaiah Swope, the Sycamores had conducted a 20-3 run. To cap off the run, Swope splashed a 3-point shot and drew a foul from Conor Enright. The 3-point bucket tied the game, and Swope’s free throw gave Indiana State the lead. The Sycamore fans in the Enterprise Center in downtown St. Louis erupted, and the Bulldog faithful went silent. The momentum meter had tilted entirely to Indiana State’s side.
With just over two minutes left in the do-or-die game, the Sycamores and the Bulldogs traded buckets to even the contest at 76 apiece. Drake typically looks to two-time Larry Bird Player of the Year Tucker DeVries in the big moments, but Enright was the answer the Bulldogs found. DeVries passed the ball to Enright on the wing, who immediately shot a 3-pointer. With MVC all-defense team awardee Julian Larry lunging to contest the shot, Enright drained the attempt to give Drake a 3-point lead and rejuvenate a nervous Drake crowd.
A layup basket by center Darnell Brodie, a steal by guard Kevin Overton and clutch free throws from Brodie iced the game for the Bulldogs. Drake knocked off the vaunted Sycamores 84-80 and earned a March Madness bid in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 1970 and 1971.
DeVries repeated as the Arch Madness Most Outstanding Player. His father and head coach, Darian DeVries, has led Drake men’s basketball to three NCAA Tournament appearances in six seasons at Drake.
Full tournament recap
The Bulldogs MVC championship weekend began on Friday, March 8 against the No. 10 seed Evansville. The No. 2 seed Bulldogs handily defeated the Purple Aces 79-58, and DeVries led the way with 19 points.
The Bulldogs’ win set them up to play the Bradley Braves on Saturday, March 9. Bradley cruised to a 74-47 win over the University of Illinois-Chicago to advance in the tournament and meet Drake in the semifinals. Drake defeated Bradley twice in the regular season, but the Braves emerged with fire and vengeance to begin the rivalry matchup.
Tenacious defense and hot shooting generated a 23-9 Bradley lead after 11 minutes. MVC Defensive Player of the Year Malevy Leons held DeVries scoreless until six minutes remained in the first half. Drake struggled to find good shots on offense, and a technical foul issued to Brodie caused the Bradley sea of red in the Enterprise Center to explode in noise.
Bradley’s comfortable lead didn’t last long. Enright and Kyron Gibson pulled Drake back into the game with 15 combined points in the last four minutes of the half. The effort of the two Bulldog guards brought Drake and Bradley to a 38-38 standstill at halftime.
The second half was an intense fight; the Bulldogs and Braves traded scoring for 19 minutes. With 25 seconds left in the game, Drake held a 68-67 lead and possession of the basketball.
DeVries worked off a screen to shake Leons and get a more favorable matchup with 6-foot-3 guard Connor Hickman. DeVries drove on Hickman from the corner to the elbow and pulled up to drain his signature mid-range jumper, putting Drake up 70-67. Hickman missed a 3-point shot on the other end, which led to DeVries pouring in two free throws. Drake won 72-67 to secure its fourth consecutive appearance in the Arch Madness championship.
Bulldog players held up one finger to the fans as they left the court, signaling that one win was all they needed to clinch an NCAA Tournament bid.
The Bulldogs’ win over Indiana State spared no concern for the heart rate of Bulldog fans, but they prevailed to punch their ticket to March Madness once again.
The tournament win was a team effort. DeVries scored 19, 17 and 27 points in the three tournament games. Wright was the difference-maker in games two and three for the Bulldogs. He scored 20 points on 5-for-7 shooting from 3-point range against Bradley and 17 points on 3-for-6 shooting on 3-pointers against Indiana State. Enright was the engine that kept Drake moving, and his iconic 3-pointer against Indiana State was a poetic ending to his masterful tournament. He went 2-for-4 from 3-point range against Bradley and 3-for-4 on 3-point shooting against Indiana State.
Drake will play against Washington State in its first March Madness game on March 21 at 9:05 p.m. in Omaha, Nebraska.
The Drake women’s basketball team also secured their second consecutive March Madness visit this past weekend with an MVC tournament win. The team will play against Colorado University on March 22 at 2 p.m. in Manhattan, Kansas.
