Second-half rally lifts Bulldogs past Aces
UE remains on the road to face UNI on Tuesday
DES MOINES, Iowa – Leading by five points at halftime, Drake utilized a 19-1 run to open the second half as they defeated he University of Evansville men’s basketball team by a final score of 63-40 on Saturday at the Knapp Center.
Pacing the Purple Aces was Tayshawn Comer who scored 11 points while Cam Haffner finished with 10. Tanner Cuff was the Purple Aces’ leading rebounder with seven. Kaia Berridge finished with a career-best six points while converting two triples. Three Bulldogs reached double figures as Bennett Stirtz registered a game-high 16 points. Daniel Abreu scored 12 while Mitch Mascari picked up a double-double with 11 points and a game-high 13 caroms.
“We just need to stay the course. After the first half, we gave ourselves a chance to be in the game but we need to dig deep and get the job done,” Aces head coach David Ragland explained after the game. “Our guys need to learn and grow from this and be ready to play on Tuesday.”
Connecting on their first two attempts of the night, the Bulldogs scored the first four points. After missing its opening four shots, Cam Haffner put Evansville on the board with a turnaround jumper. The Bulldogs quickly hit a triple to go up 7-2 with Haffner answering with a 3-pointer of his own shortly after.
Tayshawn Comer, who had a game-high 10 points at halftime, got on the board with a layup that tied the game at 7-7. With the score knotted at 9-9, Kaia Berridge converted from outside to open a 5-0 stretch that saw UE take its largest lead of the half at the 10:49 mark. Drake’s defense took over throughout the next six minutes, holding the Aces to 1-of-7 shooting while forcing a pair of turnovers. The Bulldogs offense outscore the Aces by an 11-2 margin to retake a 20-16 advantage inside the 5-minute mark of the period. Evansville kept the Bulldogs in sight as a pair of free throws made it a 25-20 game in favor of Drake at the half.
Out of the break, Drake came out on fire. Draining their first three shots, the Bulldogs tallied the first 13 points of the half to take their first double digit lead at 38-20. Tanner Cuff knocked down a free throw to end the scoreless stretch but Drake continued its run. Six more points put DU up by a 44-21 margin with 9:22 left in the game. Berridge connected on his second 3-pointer of the day in UE’s next possession for the first field goal of the half. Evansville opened the period 0-for-6 from the field with six turnovers.
Evansville was able to get on track without letting the Bulldogs extend the lead much further. Connor Turnbull hit a triple while picking up five points in the latter portion of the game. In the end, it was Drake taking the win by a final of 63-40.
Drake shot 40% with UE finishing at 37.2%. The Bulldogs completed the game with a 41-24 advantage on the glass.
The trip to Iowa continues on Tuesday night when the Aces face Northern Iowa in a 7 p.m. game in Cedar Falls.
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