Drake stepped up big on the road. With leading scorer Tucker DeVries hospitalized with an elbow infection the Bulldogs hammered Missouri Valley co-leader Belmont 79-61. The Bulldogs improve to 8-4 in the Valley.

That’s Drake coach Darian DeVries. Known for its three point shooting, Belmont was just one of 16 from behind the arc.

Roman Penn and Garret Sturtz each had 16 poiuts for the Bulldogs. Sturtz added six rebounds and became the school’s all-time leading rebounder, despite being only six-three.

Sturtz is a native of Newton who began his Bulldog career as a walk-on.