Drake basketball star Bennett Stirtz carries Bulldogs in first round of March Madness

[ASFN Admin]

Drake basketball star Bennett Stirtz is putting on a show in his first game of March Madness.

Stirtz carried the Bulldogs in the first half Thursday, scoring 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting with some dazzling drives to the rim, introducing himself to the nation in the Big Dance. The announcers on the TNT telecast spent much of the first half praising his game.

Stirtz, the Missouri Valley Conference player of the year, is trying to lead 11-seed Drake to an upset of 6-seed Missouri in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Bulldogs are 30-3 and won the conference regular-season and tournament championships.

Drake leads 30-23 at halftime in Wichita, Kan.

The 6-foot-4 junior point guard from Liberty, Mo., has one year of eligibility remaining. He transferred to Drake before the season from Division II Northwest Missouri State, following first-year Bulldogs coach Ben McCollum to Des Moines.

Bennett Stirtz stats vs Missouri (first half)​

• 14 points
• 5-of-8 shooting
• 2-of-2 on 3-point shots
• 2-of-2 on free throws
• 2 assists
• 1 rebound

Bennett Stirtz stats during the 2024-25 season (entering Thursday)​

• 19.1 points per game
• 4.4 rebounds per game
• 5.7 assists per game
• 49.3% field-goal percentage

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Drake basketball's Bennett Stirtz has big first half in March Madness

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