(Wichita, Kansas) In an exciting first round of the NCAA Tournament, the No. 11 seed Drake Bulldogs defeated the No. 6 seed Missouri Tigers 67-57 Thursday night at INTRUST Bank Arena in Wichita, Kansas. This victory marked Drake’s first NCAA Tournament win since they triumphed over Wichita State 55-52 in the 2021 First Four game.
The Bulldogs faced a tough first half but managed to adjust and head into halftime with a 30-23 lead over the Tigers. After a slow start, during which they shot just 1-4 and committed five turnovers in the first five minutes, Drake’s defense stepped up remarkably. They capitalized on Missouri’s mistakes, forcing nine turnovers that resulted in 13 points, showcasing an aggressive defensive strategy led by Mitch Mascari and his teammates.
Junior guard Bennett Stirtz was instrumental for the Bulldogs, leading the team with 14 points on 5-8 shooting. They improved their shooting performance significantly, moving from 1-5 to 12-23 by the end of the half—this was the 22nd time this season that Drake shot 50 percent or better in the first half. Freshman Isaia Howard also made a notable contribution with five points, highlighted by a powerful dunk over Missouri’s T.O. Barrett that pushed Drake’s lead to 26-18, their largest margin in the half. Drake closed the first half strong, going on a 12-7 run and limiting Missouri to their lowest halftime total of the season.
Drake began the half strong, shooting 3-5 from the field while Missouri struggled, managing only free throws for their initial points. A highlight play occurred when Tavion Banks made a steal and followed it with a dunk that extended Drake’s lead to 42-28 before Missouri finally made their first field goal at the 12:14 mark. Missouri rallied with a 16-9 run, narrowing the gap to eight points at 52-44. They continued to press and cut the Bulldogs’ lead to just two points, prompting Drake to call a timeout with 4:50 remaining. The Tigers had found success at the foul line, making 20 of their 22 attempts up to that point. Responding, the Bulldogs went on a quick 6-0 run to restore their lead to seven with 2:47 left. The clinching moment came in the final minute when Banks connected with Stirtz for an alley-oop. From there, free throws helped Drake secure the victory.
Next up, the Bulldogs will face Texas Tech in the Round of 32 on Saturday.
