Tucker DeVries scores 1,000th career point as Drake basketball eases past Southern Illinois

Tucker DeVries surpassed the 1,000-point mark as Drake men’s basketball eased past Southern Illinois, 82-59, on Saturday.

With the win, the Bulldogs (21-6 overall, 12-4 MVC) snapped Southern Illinois’ two-game win streak and gained even more solid footing at the top of the league.

“I thought our guys came out with great focus, on both ends of the floor,” said coach Darian DeVries. “They did a really good job of setting the tone from the start of the game and then we were able to get it going a little bit, get some shots.”

Drake accumulated a 16-0 lead before Xavier Johnson netted two free throws to get the Salukis on the board.

SIU (11-5, 19-8 MVC) started off 0-for-6 from the field before Johnson recorded the Salukis' first layup with 13:13 left in the first half. The visiting team’s first 3-pointer wouldn’t come until nearly 14 minutes of play.

Meanwhile. Drake shot 73.3% from the field and 75% from beyond the arc in the first 10 minutes, and the Bulldogs headed to the locker room with a 45-22 lead after shooting 60% from the field and 77.8% from 3-point range in the first half.

“We talk about getting off to a quick start, and I think that’s what happened off the bat,” Tucker DeVries said. “And then guys came off the bench and kept that same energy.”

While Drake saw most of its shots fall in the first half, the Bulldogs struggled to carry that momentum into the second. There were nearly four straight minutes where Drake failed to register any points. They got out of that funk and finished the game shooting 53.6% from the field in the second half.

Tucker DeVries may have put up 15 in the win, but it was Roman Penn who led the way with 21 points.

“Roman’s just playing with extreme confidence right now,” Darian DeVries said. “He’s playing at a really high level right now and it’s fun to watch.”

Five-of-seven scorers for the Bulldogs recorded double-digits, and Darnell Brodie led the way with 11 rebounds.

“We did a great job of feeding off each other and executing the game plan tremendously,” Tucker DeVries said. “We knew Southern’s a good team and there’s a reason they’re at the top. I think we just handled business today.”

Tucker DeVries writes his name in the record books

The younger DeVries finished with 15 points in 18 minutes for the Bulldogs, but it was two free throws that stood out.

With 7:04 remaining in regulation, DeVries knocked down two shots from the foul line and hit the 1,000-career points mark. The 6-foot-7 forward is only a sophomore, yet his impact has been undeniable since his first game in a Drake jersey.

“I know I can speak for him when I say he only cares about winning and that’s it,” Darian DeVries said.

He started the game with 993 career points. With 15 against SIU, he now has 1,008 in less than two seasons at Drake.

In a scary moment, he took a hard fall with 3:16 left to play. He came up clutching his right elbow – the same one that put him in the hospital for five days – and hit one free throw before heading to the locker room. He re-emerged with ice on that elbow and was not needed back on the court.

“Definitely a little scary,” Tucker DeVries said. “But I’m grateful that it isn’t anything too serious. Hopefully, the swelling can go down a little bit and (I’ll) be good to go.”

Garrett Sturtz and crew put on a defensive clinic against Marcus Domask

Southern Illinois' Marcus Domask was selected to the All-MVC Preseason Team and averaged 17.1 points per game ahead of Saturday’s matchup. Against Drake, he recorded just 5 points, while shooting 1-of-8 in 32 minutes on the court.

While some of that can be attributed to a poor shooting game from Southern Illinois, most of the credit goes to Garrett Sturtz. He was incredibly effective on defense against Domask, matching up with him almost exclusively when both players were on the floor. Sturtz, though, isn’t quick to take the credit.

“We did a lot of doubles,” Sturtz said. “Sardaar (Calhoun) did a really good job on him. (Domask) is a tremendous player, we knew that. We’ve known that for many years now. We just tried to limit his touches and just give different looks off things.”

Sturtz only finished with 9 points, but holding Domask to single digits without being called for a single foul was his major contribution.

Battle for the MVC’s top spot continues

Drake, Southern Illinois and Bradley had identical 11-4 conference records entering Saturday. The Bulldogs split the series against Southern Illinois with the victory on Saturday and separated themselves from the Salukis by a game.

But Bradley and Drake have only matched up once this season; the Bulldogs face the Braves on the road in the season finale for both teams. With Bradley’s win over Murray State and Drake’s win over SIU on Saturday, it's still crowded at the top of the standings.

The Bulldogs currently have the edge, with a 21-6 overall record compared to Bradley’s 19-8 mark. Neither team seems to be slowing down: Drake is on a seven-game win streak while Bradley has won six straight.

With how the Missouri Valley’s top three teams are playing, the fight for the No. 1 spot at Arch Madness and the regular season title could come down to Drake and Bradley’s final regular season game.

Alyssa Hertel is the college sports recruiting reporter for the Des Moines Register. Contact Alyssa at ahertel@dmreg.com or on Twitter @AlyssaHertel.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Tucker DeVries scores 1,000 as Roman Penn leads Drake past Southern Illinois