Bulldogs Fall to USC
(St. Louis, MO) – Southern California was just too long for the short-handed Drake Bulldogs. Drake may have lost Saturday’s game, but they are not defeated. Finishing the season with 26 wins, an NCAA Tournament victory and virtually everyone coming back next season means they have barely begun.
Drake trailed by just three points (40-37) at the half but seemed to run out of gas the second half and the smaller and more limited roster was smothered by a USC zone defense. 72-56 was the final. Sophomore Joseph Yesufu led the Bulldogs with 26 points (47 over the two games in Indianapolis) and three Trojans reached double figures for USC. All-American Evan Mobley recorded a 17-point, eleven rebound double-double as USC earned a trip to the round of 32.
After scoring 37 first half points the Bulldogs couldn’t get open looks and converted just 19% of their second half shots. ShanQuan Hemphill scored six first half points during 16 minutes of play. He didn’t appear in the second half. Darian DeVries said ‘Tank’ was feeling some soreness and they elected to sit him during the second half.
Not Defeated
Drake actually out rebounded the huge Trojans (39 to 35), while grabbing 17 offensive rebounds. Effort was never lacking. Guard Garrett Sturtz’s stat line describes the ‘effort plays’ he and others made. The Newton, Iowa native recorded a quadruple quatro. Five points, seven rebounds, four assists and four steals describe how the Bulldogs scrapped for everything they could.
DeVries said Sturtz was just one of the players that left everything on the floor.
“He left it all out there,” gushed DeVries. “He was trying to make every winning play he could in that second half to keep us in it, getting steals and offensive rebounds, diving for loose balls. Again, he was tremendous, as were a lot of the guys.”
While saddened by the loss, DeVries said he was proud of and had a lot of fun with this year’s team.
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – MARCH 20 (Photo by Joe Robbins/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
“As I’ve told people all year, I just love these guys,” said DeVries. “I love what they’re all about and how they’ve had to be so resilient all year to get to this point, to get to this game. They’re an incredible bunch of guys to coach and be around every day. I couldn’t be more proud of them.”
Yesufu was quick to point out that Drake will be back in the NCAA Tournament next season. The Missouri Valley Conference’s ‘Sixth Man’ said Saturday’s loss makes them hungrier for postseason success.
“We’re definitely more hungry,” said Yesufu. “We (had not) tasted the NCAA Tournament since 2008, so we’re definitely more hungry, definitely going to get back here again, and it’s going to be a different story.
What About Next Season?
DeVries has repeatedly said he expects his whole team back next year. With high school All-American Tucker DeVries (the coach’s son) also on the way, the Bulldogs look to be a force in the Missouri Valley and should contend for postseason opportunities again in 2022.
Point guard Roman Penn and Hemphill have to get healthy and they probably need more interior size, but Drake is talented, well coached and extremely experienced.
Yesufu says practices will be competitive.
“I know everybody, not just me, everybody’s going to be hungry,” vowed Yesufu. “Everybody’s constantly going to be in the gym, like they already are, because we want to make it back here again. We will make it back here again.”
They lost to a huge USC team and their season is over but they are not defeated.
Do Good
Editor: Feature photo courtesy of 2021 NCAA Photos
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I guess we'll be seeing this in a @RacersHoops uniform this year. Glad AJ is staying in the @ValleyHoops.
Suddenly the Cardinals are the best team in baseball! 3 of last 4!
This is outstanding. Congrats to my friends @CoachBlossom & @DrewHanlen and the others I don't even know.
.@ValleyHoops women's basketball tournament will begin to rotate to different cities. Evansville next year, then Coralville, Iowa and then back to Moline.
