Boxscore

DES MOINES, Iowa -- The nation's hottest college basketball team needed most of the game to shake off the Purple Aces Saturday night, but their final shake brought down Evansville.  Drake is now 22-1 overall and 13-0 in the Missouri Valley Conference with the win over Evansville 73-65.

Saturday's win puts the MVC title only one game away for the Bulldogs, who were picked ninth out of the 10 league teams back in November.  The Aces are 7-16 overall and 2-11 in the league.

Drake jumped out with an early 13-0 run that increased the Bulldogs' lead from 3-2 to 16-2.  Evansville battled back, cutting the halftime lead to nine points at 33-24 and then cutting the Bulldogs' lead to five points at 41-36.  But that's when the 22-1 Bulldogs put the game away, hitting three straight three-pointers and outscoring the Aces 18-4 to take a 59-40 lead.

Shy Ely led the Aces with 18 points and Jay Couisnard added 11.  Evansville shot an outstanding 55 percent, but the difference came at the free throw line, where the Bulldogs hit 20 of 24 and Evansville hit 5 of 10.  Jonathan Cox of Drake led all scorers with 21 points.

The Aces return home Wednesday to host Creighton at 7:05 CST.  After Wednesday, Evansville's remaining home games are Feb. 20 against Illinois State and March 1 against Northern Iowa.