Darnell Brodie double-double, scoring streaks push Drake basketball past Evansville

Darnell Brodie opened Drake basketball’s game against Evansville with a statement: A jumper, 22 seconds in, that eased through the net for the first points of the matchup.

The Purple Aces tied it, then took the lead.

Brodie made things even again with a layup. Kevin Overton turned a steal by Atin Wright into points on the board and Drake regained the lead. Evansville tied it again, but then the Bulldogs broke loose.

Drake put together another quick run, during which four different players added points. Evansville ended that scoring streak after the Bulldogs piled on 12 straight points.

But the Purple Aces couldn’t stop the runs that followed, which was key for the Bulldogs in the 97-48 win.

"It was amazing,” Brodie said postgame. “Hometown team, everybody came out to support us. We got a young crowd…our alumni coming in. That was a big support.”

Let’s talk about those scoring streaks against Evansville

Drake outscored Evansville 23-8 in the first 10 minutes of the first half. The Bulldogs shot 76.9% from the field and 50% from 3-point range. They went on a 17-2 run in under four minutes, and even after Evansville stopped the streak, Drake bounded right back into its rhythm.

The Bulldogs finished the first half even better than they started it. Drake outscored the Purple Aces 31-12 in the final 10 minutes of the half, shooting 75% from the field and 83.3% (5/6) from beyond the arc. There was even a run where Drake went 11-of-11 over about four-and-a-half minutes.

"When you’re moving it and shooting it the way they are, and as unselfish as they are, you get those type of good looks, those good opportunities,” coach Darian DeVries said. “I know how these guys shoot it. I figured it was a matter of time.”

Bulldogs build confidence with dominant win over Missouri Valley opponent

Drake sits atop the MVC standings with a 7-1 record, including a victory against Indiana State, which is also 7-1 in conference play.

The Bulldogs won their last three matchups, including two on the road, so Drake didn’t exactly need a confidence boost out of Saturday’s game, but the win certainly doesn't hurt the team's confidence.

“I think we’re guarding well, we’ve been taking care of the basketball well, we’re sharing the ball well,” DeVries said. “Those things have really stood out these last few games.

“I like their mentality right now. I like the way they’re approaching every day in practice, film sessions, everything in those two-day periods that matter as you lead up to a game.”

This win reflected months of work with a new team and showed how well the Bulldogs play when everyone is comfortable in their roles. It’s taken time to get to this point. Only Brodie and Tucker DeVries came into this season as returning starters.

But this game was a defining moment for the rest of the team.

Twelve players made it into the game. Eleven scored at least two points. The Bulldogs looked like they were having fun as a unit all night.

Kyron Gibson was one of those players. He’s been a constant contributor off the bench, but he excelled in 21 minutes of playing time on Saturday. He finished with 18 points and two assists.

Brodie continued to play with confidence, as well. He finished with a stat line of 18 points, 10 rebounds, two blocks, a steal and an assist.

“For this team, we have a lot of guys who can go out and score 18 to 20 points a night,” Gibson said. “It was just our night and we stepped up. Next game, it’ll be someone else’s night.”

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: Darnell Brodie dominant in Drake basketball's win over Evansville