ST. LOUIS (AP) — Bennett Stirtz scored 24 points and Tavion Banks added 13 as top-seeded Drake secured a 63-48 victory over No. 2-seed Bradley on Sunday to clinch their third consecutive Arch Madness title. The Bulldogs (30-3) will be heading to their eighth NCAA Tournament appearance, their fourth in the last five years. They also claimed the Missouri Valley Conference regular-season championship for the first time since 2019.
Bradley briefly took a 27-24 lead with a 3-pointer by Demarion Burch late in the first half, but failed to score again until the second half. Drake closed out the first half with a 7-0 run to lead 31-27 and added the first six points of the second half.
With seven minutes left in regulation, Drake held a 46-41 lead before going on a 15-2 run to seal the victory. Bradley struggled to make shots, managing only one field goal in a span of nearly 5 1/2 minutes. Darius Hannah led Bradley with 19 points on 7-of-11 shooting, while the team shot 52% in the first half and just 28% in the second, finishing at 42% for the game.
Stirtz, who made 5 of 7 3-point attempts, and Banks, who grabbed nine rebounds, were key contributors for Drake. The Bulldogs shot 46% from the field.
