DES MOINES, Iowa -- Egidijus Mockevicius scored 21 points and grabbed 13 rebounds as Evansville narrowly edged Drake 80-74 on Wednesday night.
D.J. Balentine added 26 points and seven assists for the Purple Aces (21-7, 10-5 Missouri Valley). Blake Simmons had 11 points and five assists.
Mockevicius scored 10 points as part of a 16-6 run to open the second half, extending Evansville's four-point halftime lead to 52-38 with 13:49 to play. But Drake -- in last place in the MVC -- wasn't finished. Nick McGlynn scored 11 points and grabbed six rebounds in the game's final 10 minutes and sparked a 28-17 surge that brought the Bulldogs (6-21, 1-14) to within five, 75-70, with 1:03 remaining.