Drake 79, Illinois State 49
> Live on-location in St. Louis, Missouri at the MVC Tournament
Illinois State couldn't recover from a 19-0 Drake run in the first half, and the 2nd half resulted in the largest margin of victory in any MVC tournament championship ever.
Nothing seemed to work for the Redbirds. "It's the scenario you always dread where the other team plays the perfect game and you're having one of those nights," ISU coach Tim Jankovich said afterwards in the press conference. ISU couldn't defend Drake, couldn't get an open look, and when the Redbirds did get an open look, they couldn't knock down their shots. The Bulldogs started slow but eventually, Drake did a great job on the boards, shot well, defended well, and did everything it needed for a victory.
The attendance was a little more than 11,000, which is a disappointment considering last year's title game was a sellout. It's understandable though, since none of the Valley's traditional powers or any of the schools closest to St. Louis were in the game, like SIU, Creighton, Missouri State, Wichita State, etc. Even with the arena only half full, the atmosphere was electric. It seemed like Drake fans couldn't even believe their Bulldogs were having such a magical run this season. A man behind me in the stands held a sign that said "Final Four: Drake vs. Duke?" and many fans held signs with the word "Believe" on it.
Drake would have gotten an at-large had it not won today, but now the Bulldogs are officially in the field. Illinois State on the other hand has to wait it out one week to see if the tournament selection committee includes it in the field. I like the Redbirds' chances, but they are definitely not a lock by any means to get an at-large.
This week I'll be writing an article on SouthernCollegeSports.com about my experience at the MVC tourney on press row, so make sure you check out that story and the rest of the site as well.
Illinois State couldn't recover from a 19-0 Drake run in the first half, and the 2nd half resulted in the largest margin of victory in any MVC tournament championship ever.
Nothing seemed to work for the Redbirds. "It's the scenario you always dread where the other team plays the perfect game and you're having one of those nights," ISU coach Tim Jankovich said afterwards in the press conference. ISU couldn't defend Drake, couldn't get an open look, and when the Redbirds did get an open look, they couldn't knock down their shots. The Bulldogs started slow but eventually, Drake did a great job on the boards, shot well, defended well, and did everything it needed for a victory.
The attendance was a little more than 11,000, which is a disappointment considering last year's title game was a sellout. It's understandable though, since none of the Valley's traditional powers or any of the schools closest to St. Louis were in the game, like SIU, Creighton, Missouri State, Wichita State, etc. Even with the arena only half full, the atmosphere was electric. It seemed like Drake fans couldn't even believe their Bulldogs were having such a magical run this season. A man behind me in the stands held a sign that said "Final Four: Drake vs. Duke?" and many fans held signs with the word "Believe" on it.
Drake would have gotten an at-large had it not won today, but now the Bulldogs are officially in the field. Illinois State on the other hand has to wait it out one week to see if the tournament selection committee includes it in the field. I like the Redbirds' chances, but they are definitely not a lock by any means to get an at-large.
This week I'll be writing an article on SouthernCollegeSports.com about my experience at the MVC tourney on press row, so make sure you check out that story and the rest of the site as well.
posted by Daniel, Staff at
4:53 PM
