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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Murray State | 8-1 | - | 16-4 |
| Belmont | 7-2 | 1 | 17-3 |
| Bradley | 7-3 | 1.5 | 14-7 |
| Illinois State | 6-3 | 2 | 14-6 |
| UIC | 5-4 | 3 | 10-10 |
| Northern Iowa | 4-5 | 4 | 12-8 |
| Drake | 4-5 | 4 | 10-10 |
| Valparaiso | 4-5 | 4 | 10-10 |
| Indiana State | 2-7 | 6 | 9-11 |
| Southern Illinois | 2-7 | 6 | 8-12 |
| Evansville | 1-8 | 7 | 5-15 |
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