Drake Bulldogs vs Valparaiso Beacons Match Player Stats On Feb 06, 2021

ShanQuan Hemphill scored 18 points and grabbed 12 rebounds Saturday as No. 25 Drake rallied from a 10-point second-half deficit to improve to 18-0 with an 80-77 Missouri Valley Conference win over Valparaiso in Valparaiso, Ind.

Joseph Yesufu came off the bench to add 12 points for the Bulldogs, who are 9-0 in the conference, and Tremell Murphy contributed an 11-point, 11-rebound double-double. Roman Penn and D.J. Wilkins each chipped in 10, hitting critical 3-pointers during an 11-0 run that gave Drake a 76-69 lead with a minute remaining.

Sheldon Edwards pumped in a game-high 20 points for the Crusaders (6-12, 3-6), including a four-point play with 35.3 seconds left that brought them within 76-73. Ben Krikke added 16, while Eron Gordon and Jacob Ognacevic each hit for 11 points.

Valparaiso led for a majority of the game, thanks to 12 of 29 3-point shooting and excellent ball handling. The Crusaders drew assists on 19 of their 29 field goals and committed only five turnovers. However, the Bulldogs connected on 53.2 percent of their field goals and dominated the glass to the tune of 47-27, enabling them to stay one of three unbeaten teams in Division I.

The first half was essentially two 10-minute games. Drake controlled the first one and Valparaiso had its way in the second one.

The Bulldogs scored the game's first six points and owned three other six-point leads, the last one at 17-11 after Yesufu connected on a 3-pointer with 11:49 left in the half. From that point, the Crusaders took over behind a surprising source of offense.

Normally a team which does most of its scoring in the lane or from mid-range -- Valparaiso averages just six made 3-pointers per game - the Crusaders made nine in the first half. Edwards sank two and Gordon added a third during a 16-2 run that made it 27-19 Valparaiso.

The margin reached nine later in the half before a Krikke jumper in the lane enabled Valparaiso to head for intermission with a 43-35 advantage.

--Field Level Media