Bennett Stirtz had 21 points and four assists as No. 11 Drake upset No. 6 Missouri 67-57 in the first round of NCAA Tournament’s West Region on Thursday night in Wichita, Kan.
Tavion Banks added 15 points for the Bulldogs (31-3), who will face No. 3 Texas Tech on Saturday after the Red Raiders defeated No. 14 UNC Wilmington 82-72.
“We just fought,” Drake coach Ben McCollum said. “That’s what we have to do, is just continue to fight and continue to grind and continue to compete.
“Really proud of their effort. Really proud of their execution. Everybody that came in and everybody off the bench. It was certainly a fun atmosphere to be a part of.”
Caleb Grill scored 14 points and Tamar Bates added 10 for the Tigers (22-12).
This matchup presented a clash of playing styles, as fast-paced Missouri came into the game ranked ninth in the nation in scoring offense at 84.5 points per game.
Drake, featuring a more deliberate attack, ranked first in scoring defense, allowing just 58.4 points per contest.
The Tigers played a pressuring man-to-man defense with some matchup zone mixed in. They tried to speed up the Bulldogs and force live-ball turnovers to feed their transition game.
But the Bulldogs dictated a slower pace by running a patient halfcourt offense. Stirtz, the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year, scored nine early points as Drake pushed to a 13-7 lead with 11:05 left in the first half.
“The look that Drake gave us was not foreign,” Missouri coach Dennis Gates said. “We’ve practiced elongated defensive possessions. …Their ball went in more than ours at a different rate. They made tough shots. It’s not that our guys were doing anything wrong.”
Jacob Crews hit a 3-point jumper to stabilize the Tigers, but Stirtz countered with a triple of his own to put Drake up 18-12.
Missouri picked up its pressure and got transition baskets from Grill and Bates; but, after a timeout, the Bulldogs got into their offense as Isaiah Jackson’s layup off a Stirtz pass upped Drake’s advantage to 28-18.
Mark Mitchell scored five unanswered points for the Tigers before Banks’ last-second layup gave the Bulldogs a 30-23 halftime lead.
Drake pushed its lead to 43-28 with 12:40 left to play with Mitch Mascari hitting a 3-pointer, Banks converting his steal into a layup, Isaia Howard throwing down a baseline dunk and Banks dunking in transition.
The Bulldogs kept Missouri from scoring a basket for nearly eight minutes in the second half before the Tigers finally got into gear with Grill triggering a 10-0 run with a 3-point jumper.
After Missouri trimmed the deficit to 52-51 with 4:28 to play, Stirtz hit a jumper and Cam Manyawu scored inside to keep Missouri at bay.
Banks then threw down a transition dunk with 58 seconds left to ice the game.
“I would be lying if I didn’t say I didn’t expect it,” McCollum said of the win. “I expected it. I expected them to compete. I brought winners with me. … I know I’ve tried to be humble in other ones, but man, I believe in these kids.”
–Field Level Media
