CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (Via godrakebulldogs.com)– The Drake men’s basketball team did not stop UNI in transition for most of the game as the Bulldogs were bested by the Panthers, 91-77 inside the McLeod Center on Saturday evening.

UNI (16-13, 10-8 in Missouri Valley Conference play) outscored Drake (23-6, 14-4) on fast breaks by a 25-10 margin and answered every Drake rebuttal throughout the night. 17 of those fast break points occurred in the first half.

“I thought UNI was more aggressive in all areas,” head coach Darian DeVries said. “The offensive rebounds allowed were killers for us in the second half. We didn’t respond the way we needed to for a portion of the night.”

The action in the first half picked up in the final five minutes before halftime after Trey Campbell hit a quick layup for a 35-27 UNI advantage and a Drake timeout. The Bulldogs responded out of the timeout with an 8-0 run to tie the game 35-35, following the sequence of an Overton steal and Garland layup with 3:49 left.

Tucker DeVries had 12 first half points including a nice move in the lane to tie the game, 39-39 with 1:17 remaining in the opening half. DeVries finished with a game-high 28 points on 10-21 shooting from the field.

Nate Heise closed out the first half with a pair of layups as UNI took a 43-39 edge into the locker room at halftime.

Drake came out energized to start the second half with a 6-0 spurt for a 45-43 lead that did not last long. The Panthers answered with an efficient 12-0 run to move ahead 55-45 with 16:54 still to play.

DeVries ducked inside and scooped in a bucket while drawing a foul as the Bulldogs clawed back, trailing 57-53 at the 14:12 mark of the second half.

Once again, the visitors from Des Moines trimmed the deficit to two possessions halfway through the second stanza, but the Panthers always had an answer. Jacob Hutson drilled a wing triple for a 73-65 advantage.

With 7:09, a Heise turnaround jumper pushed the margin back to 10 points and UNI led by double figures for the rest of the game before claiming a 91-77 decision.

UNI shot 55.4 percent (31-56) for the game led by Tytan Anderson’s 18 point and 18 rebound double-double. Heise just missed a double-double with 18 points and nine rebounds. Hutson was 4-5 from the field, but three of those makes were from long distance.

“The biggest thing is that you can’t let this one cost another one,” Darian DeVries said. “It’s time to refocus and play better.”

Drake will play its final regular season road game at UIC on Wednesday, Feb. 28. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. inside Credit Union 1 Arena.

Team Notes

• Drake’s five-game win streak was snapped.
• The Bulldogs fell to second place in the MVC standings with a 14-4 conference record, a half game back of Indiana State entering Indiana State’s game later on Saturday.
• Drake is now 5-5 on the road this season.
• The Bulldogs committed nine turnovers, two less than UNI (11).
• Trailing 43-39 at halftime, the Bulldogs fell to 3-4 this season when losing at the half.
• Drake was outrebounded 42-28, slipping to 9-5 this season when getting outrebounded by its opponent.
• The Bulldogs are 4-3 this season when wearing its alternate gray uniforms and 8-3 during the Darian DeVries era.

Individual Notes

• Tucker DeVries collected a game-high 28 points (16^th 20-plus scoring output this season and 37^th of his career).
• DeVries grabbed a team-high nine rebounds.
• DeVries has made 233 career 3-points baskets, just two shy of passing Ben Simons (2009-12) for fifth all-time in program history.
• Colby Garland scored a career-high 13 points.
• Four points and four rebounds are both season lows for Darnell Brodie.
• Atin Wright, who has scored in double figures in seven of the last eight games, added 10 points.

The Series

• UNI leads the all-time series, 52-34.
• Drake’s three-game winning streak against UNI was snapped.
• Tonight marked Drake’s first loss at the McLeod Center in Cedar Falls since Feb. 8, 2020.
• Drake has still won eight of the last 10 meetings between the two teams.
• UNI is 30-9 in the series in games played in Cedar Falls.