ST. LOUIS – Top-seeded Drake rallied from a halftime deficit behind a dominant second half from MVC Player of the Year Bennett Stirtz, securing a 57-50 victory over No. 4 seed Belmont in the semifinal round of the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament at the Enterprise Center on Saturday.
Stirtz led all scorers with 24 points, including 16 in the second half, to propel the Bulldogs to their sixth straight win. Drake improved to 29-3 overall, the most wins in the NCAA this season and a new program record. The Bulldogs also extended their MVC Tournament win streak to eight games, advancing to the championship game for the sixth time in school history and fifth consecutive year—a feat previously accomplished only by Tulsa (1982-87).
Drake head coach Ben McCollum, in his first season, became the winningest first-year coach in program history with 29 victories, surpassing Keno Davis’ 28-win season in 2007-08. He also became the 12th coach to guide his team to the MVC title game in his first season.
Despite struggling offensively with a season-low 38.6% shooting, Drake’s defense proved pivotal. The Bulldogs trailed 30-21 at halftime but stormed back as Stirtz opened the second half with eight straight points. Freshman Isaia Howard’s free throws gave Drake its first lead at 40-39, and an 8-0 run, fueled by Belmont turnovers, extended the margin to 44-39 with 8:23 left.
With the game tied at 50, Cam Manyawu’s putback with 1:42 remaining gave Drake the lead for good. The Bulldogs sealed the win with five free throws as Belmont went scoreless in the final 2:11.
Belmont (22-11) was led by freshman Sam Orme’s 13 points. Tyler Lundblade hit three triples, setting the Bruins’ single-season record with 104 made threes.
Drake will now face No. 2 seed Bradley for the MVC title.
The Barn 