Drake Bulldogs vs Belmont Bruins
Drake defeats Belmont 57-50 in Missouri Valley Conference Tournament semifinal
ST. LOUIS -- — Bennett Stirtz, the Missouri Valley Conference player of the year, had 24 points to lead Drake to a 57-50 victory over Belmont on Saturday in a conference tournament semifinal.
Stirtz added five rebounds and four steals for the Bulldogs (29-3), who set a school record for wins in a single season. Top-seeded Drake will play No. 2 seed Bradley or 11th seed Valparaiso in Sunday's final with an automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament on the line.
Sam Orme led the Bruins (22-11) with 13 points, six rebounds and two steals.
Stirtz scored 16 points in the second half to help lead Drake rally from a 30-21 deficit at the break.
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Game Information
St. Louis, MO
Referee:Jeff Campbell
Referee:Kipp Kissinger
Referee:Ed Crenshaw Jr.
2025-26 Standings
| Missouri Valley Conference | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belmont | 14-3 | - | 24-4 |
| Bradley | 11-5 | 2.5 | 18-9 |
| Murray State | 11-6 | 3 | 19-9 |
| UIC | 10-6 | 3.5 | 15-12 |
| Illinois State | 9-7 | 4.5 | 17-10 |
| Northern Iowa | 9-7 | 4.5 | 17-10 |
| Valparaiso | 8-8 | 5.5 | 14-13 |
| Southern Illinois | 6-10 | 7.5 | 12-15 |
| Drake | 6-11 | 8 | 12-16 |
| Indiana State | 3-13 | 10.5 | 10-17 |
| Evansville | 2-13 | 11 | 6-20 |
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