St. Louis, Missouri (AP) — Tucker DeVries scored 22 points and second-seeded Drake raced to its sixth NCAA Tournament berth with a 77-51 win over top-seeded Bradley in the championship game of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament on Sunday.
Garrett Sturtz and Darnell Brodie each scored 12 points for the Bulldogs (27-7), who reached their third straight title game and lost their first two games to Loyola of Chicago, winning the tournament last in 1996.
Brodie’s 3-pointer, his first attempt of the season, as the shot clock expired in the final minute, set the tone for the game.
The Bulldogs made 8 of 14 three-point shots and 28 of 50 overall, while the Braves, who are looking to reach their 10th NCAA Tournament, shot 34% (19 of 55).
Jo’Shon Henry scored 10 points and was the only player for Bradley (25-9) to score in double figures. The Braves entered the contest riding a 12-game winning streak, including a 73-61 victory over Drake on the final day of the regular season to win their first division title since 1996. That game ended Drake’s 10-game winning streak.
“The biggest difference is we had our entire roster here,” Drake coach Darian DeVries said. “Our depth was really critical in this game. We have an experienced group and they really wanted to win this game. They’ve been here before and really wanted to win.”
The Bulldogs are the fifth-oldest team in the country, with two of the five players 25 years older playing at the DI level. But Tucker DeVries, the coach’s son, is only a sophomore and was not there when they received a waiver in 2021. Last year, DeVries was the MVC Freshman of the Year and this season’s Player of the Year.
“All the boys, but of course I’m incredibly proud of him, having a son and being able to share this moment with him,” said Darian DeVries.
“It feels good. It’s what you dream about,” said Tucker DeVries. “I’ve been coming to this tournament my whole life, but to do it now in my own skin feels so good.”
The Bulldogs took a 14-3 lead with an early 12-0 run, and later a 16-5 run helped them take a 41-21 halftime lead. Drake hit 5 of 10 three-pointers and 14 of 29 overall, while Bradley shot just 26% in the first half.
After that, the lead was never less than 17 – when Bradley made a 3-pointer early in the second half – and even 32 after Brodie’s 3-pointer.
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