Drake utilized a pair of early runs in both the first and second half on their way to pulling away from host Indiana State on Saturday evening inside the Hulman Center, 71-53.
The Sycamores (9-10, 3-5 MVC) went ahead 7-2 early in the first half thanks to a Markus Harding three-pointer and four consecutive points from Samage Teel in attempt to take control of the game early. Drake (16-2, 6-2 MVC) responded with an 11-0 run thanks to a trio of MitchMascari three-pointers in taking a lead they would not relinquish the rest of the first half.
The Bulldogs broke open a 32-25 halftime lead with eight consecutive points starting with another Mascari three-pointer. Daniel Abreu also hit from deep, and Cam Manyawu added an offensive rebound and score as Drake went up double-digits on their way to riding the margin the rest of the way in securing the Missouri Valley Conference win.
Teel led the Sycamores with a team-high 13 points on 4-of-12 shooting, including a 1-of-5 mark from behind the arc as Indiana State shot 36.0% against a pressure Drake defense. Markus Harding added a 12-point, six-rebound game, while Josiah Legree filled the statistics sheet with eight points, four assists, and four steals.
Mascari led all scorers as the Drake sharpshooter hit 5-of-7 from the three-point line on his way to finishing with a game-high 19 points. Bennett Stirtz added 16 points and nine assists, while Tavion Banks scored 10 points and added five rebounds off the bench.
The Sycamores rattled off seven consecutive points after Drake score the initial basket at the 18:19 mark in the first half on Isaiah Jackson’s layup. Harding cracked the seal on the basket for the Sycamores with a three-pointer from the top of the key, while Teel scored four tough points in giving Indiana State the 7-2 lead with 15:58 to play in the half.
Out of the media timeout, Drake went on an 11-0 run highlighted by a trio of Mascari three-pointers in taking a 13-7 lead as the Sycamores and Bulldogs settled into a back-and-forth stretch over the first half.
Indiana State kept it within a two-possession game for a majority of the first half, cutting the lead back to one at 22-21 on a pair of K’mani Doughty free throws with 3:49 to play. Isaia Howard responded with four consecutive points including a fast-break dunk off the Stirtz pass, and Kael Combs added a tip-in layup with 2:27 remaining to swing the lead to 28-21.
The margin remained seven heading into the break as Aaron Gray and Stirtz traded baskets over the final minute to send the teams into the break with Drake leading 32-25.
Drake scored the first eight points of the second half sparked by another Mascari three-pointer as the Bulldogs built their first double-digit lead at 40-25 following a Manyawu layup at the 17:28 mark. Teel scored the old-fashioned three-point play to make it 40-28, before Mascarihit his fifth three-pointer of the game parking another stretch where the Bulldogs outscored the Sycamores 12-5 capped by a Manyawu dunk at the 12:48 mark.
The Sycamores chipped away at the lead with Bruno Alocen’s three-pointer at the 10:23 mark cutting the deficit back down to 54-42, but that was as close as Indiana State was able to bring it as Drake closed out the contest with the 71-53 win.
News & Notes
- Indiana State dropped its fourth-straight game, moving to 1-5 in the month of January.
- The 53 points are the fewest scored this season and the fewest since January 30, 2022 at Bradley (52).
- Indiana shot a season-low 17.4% from three (4-for-23).
- Markus Harding’s 12 points are the most since he scored 13 against UHSP on December 21. He matched his season-high
- Josiah LeGree recorded a season-high four steals.
Up Next
Indiana State is back on the road for one game at Illinois State on Tuesday, January 21 for an 8 p.m. tip off.
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