Leonard Houston scored all of his 16 points, including three 3-pointers, in the second half for the Bulldogs (26-4). Drake, the top seed for the first time in the 32-year history of the tournament, beat eighth-seeded Indiana State (15-16) for the third time and will play either Creighton or Bradley in the semifinals on Saturday.

Gabe Moore had 12 points for Indiana State, which lost three of its last four. The Sycamores shot a season-worst 25.9 percent and were 5-for-25 from 3-point range. Marico Stinson, who averages 12.3 points, was held to three on 1-for-9 shooting.

The 6-foot-1 Emmenecker, the Valley player of the year, is one of two former walk-ons for first-year coach Keno Davis and surprising Drake, seeking its first NCAA tournament berth since 1971 and its first postseason opportunity since the 1986 NIT. Emmenecker also had five assists against the Sycamores.

Jonathan Cox added 12 points and Klayton Korver and Josh Young had 11 apiece, putting all five Drake starters in double figures.

Drake, which split its last six games of the regular season, went 9-for-23 from 3-point range to add to its school record of 27-5.

Five players contributed to a 17-5 run at the start of the second half, giving Drake a 48-30 lead with just under 12 minutes to play. Indiana State missed eight of its first nine shots after the break.

After grabbing an early 10-2 lead, Drake was unable to put away Indiana State in the first half. Emmenecker had eight points in the half, topping his average of 7.7, and scored off a drive with 2.5 seconds left for a 31-25 lead.