3 takeaways from Bulldogs’ win in March Madness

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Drake basketball’s Isaia Howard on his performance against Missouri

Hear from Isaia Howard on Drake’s win over Missouri in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

WICHITA, Kan. — Missouri had a size advantage, a deeper bench and played in a tougher conference.

All reasons why Drake basketball should’ve lost to Missouri – or so some people thought – and yet, the Bulldogs pulled out a win, defeating the 6-seed Tigers, 67-57, on Thursday.

It marked the first time since 1971 that the Bulldogs advanced past the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

But more than anything, the victory made a statement: Drake is here to compete, despite being an undersized 11-seed from the Missouri Valley Conference.

“This stage allows you to pass a message, which is tough kids, connected kids, kids that love each other and serve each other still can win,” Drake coach Ben McCollum said after his team improved to 31-3. “Kids that maintain a level of loyalty, kids that are just awesome to be around can still win.”

Here are three takeaways from the Bulldogs’ first-round win over Missouri:

Bennett Stirtz shines under the brightest lights of his career

No surprise here: Bennett Stirtz took control of this game.

He led the Bulldogs with 21 points and four assists. He missed just three shots in the entire game, netting all three of his 3-point attempts.

Stirtz showed the nation that he’s a difference-maker, and it’s next to impossible to completely shut him down. Early in the game, Missouri continually rotated different defenders on him and the Tigers still couldn’t slow him down (14 points on 5-of-8 shooting in the first half).

Bennett Stirtz breaks down Drake basketball’s win over Missouri

Hear from Bennett Stirtz on Drake’s win over Missouri in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

The Missouri Valley Conference player of the year, in his first year of Division I basketball, drew heavy praise from the Turner Sports broadcasting team.

“He’s obviously a really good player,” McCollum said….

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Publish date : 2025-03-21 11:03:00

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