Semi-final recap
> Live on-location in St. Louis, Missouri at the MVC Tournament
We've got our championship match-up now. The two top seeds advanced with wins in today's semi-final round, with Drake defeating Creighton and Illinois State defeating Northern Iowa.
Drake led for almost the entire game, but the Bulldogs could never put the Bluejays away. Creighton battled for 40 minutes and stayed within striking distance, and even nearly cut Drake's lead to just one possession in the final moments.
Illinois State struggled offensively against Northern Iowa at first, but luckily for the Redbirds, the Panthers couldn't hit a shot either. After some dreadful play by both teams, ISU finally got hot from behind the arc and built a lead it would not relinquish. ISU led by 13 at halftime and UNI could only cut the lead to single digits a few times, and never trailed by less than 8 points in the second half.
So now we've got and ISU/Drake match-up tomorrow, and you couldn't ask for me out of the championship game of the MVC tourney. The Bulldogs swept the Redbirds this year, but it's not easy to beat a team three times in a single season. If Drake can play its game and heat up from the perimeter, Keno Davis can pull off an MVC tourney championship in his first season. However, Illinois State's athleticism in the backcourt will be a tough test for Drake, and big man Anthony Slack came into the MVC tournament on a tear. Slack needs to dominate Drake inside for ISU to have a chance.
As far as the crowd goes, there was a lot of energy in the building for the CU/Drake game. Both teams' fans came in large numbers to St. Louis, making for a very energetic crowd. However, the UNI/ISU crowd was a disappointment. Since ISU is having a surprisingly strong season, the Redbirds fans showed up in solid numbers, but UNI's fan base was a no-show.
Tomorrow's attendance should be a sellout, and I expect the building to be rocking.
We've got our championship match-up now. The two top seeds advanced with wins in today's semi-final round, with Drake defeating Creighton and Illinois State defeating Northern Iowa.
Drake led for almost the entire game, but the Bulldogs could never put the Bluejays away. Creighton battled for 40 minutes and stayed within striking distance, and even nearly cut Drake's lead to just one possession in the final moments.
Illinois State struggled offensively against Northern Iowa at first, but luckily for the Redbirds, the Panthers couldn't hit a shot either. After some dreadful play by both teams, ISU finally got hot from behind the arc and built a lead it would not relinquish. ISU led by 13 at halftime and UNI could only cut the lead to single digits a few times, and never trailed by less than 8 points in the second half.
So now we've got and ISU/Drake match-up tomorrow, and you couldn't ask for me out of the championship game of the MVC tourney. The Bulldogs swept the Redbirds this year, but it's not easy to beat a team three times in a single season. If Drake can play its game and heat up from the perimeter, Keno Davis can pull off an MVC tourney championship in his first season. However, Illinois State's athleticism in the backcourt will be a tough test for Drake, and big man Anthony Slack came into the MVC tournament on a tear. Slack needs to dominate Drake inside for ISU to have a chance.
As far as the crowd goes, there was a lot of energy in the building for the CU/Drake game. Both teams' fans came in large numbers to St. Louis, making for a very energetic crowd. However, the UNI/ISU crowd was a disappointment. Since ISU is having a surprisingly strong season, the Redbirds fans showed up in solid numbers, but UNI's fan base was a no-show.
Tomorrow's attendance should be a sellout, and I expect the building to be rocking.
posted by Daniel, Staff at
6:43 PM
