The Drake Bulldogs won their first NCAA tournament game in over 50 years Thursday with a 67-57 victory over the Missouri Tigers.
Drake controlled the game for most of the night, with Missouri cutting the lead to one with 4:28 to go before the Bulldogs made their final run to pull away. Bennett Stirtz led the way for Drake with 21 points, including an absurd one-legged three-pointer. He went 8-for-11 from the field and a perfect 3-for-3 from three.
The win marks Drake's first NCAA tournament victory since 1971 when they went to the Elite Eight. That year, though, the tournament only involved 25 schools. They did win a First Four game as an 11-seed in 2021, but were then ousted by USC in the first round. The win over Missouri on Thursday marked Drake's first-ever win in the round of 64.
DRAKE DOES IT! THE BULLDOGS WIN THEIR FIRST GAME IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT SINCE 1971
— Mid-Major Madness (@mid_madness) March 21, 2025
BEN MCCOLLUM WAS A D2 COACH THIS TIME LAST YEAR! NOW HE’S WON A GAME IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
MOST OF THESE PLAYERS WERE D2 PLAYERS THIS TIME LAST YEAR
DII HAS HOOPERS TOO!pic.twitter.com/ZwL8HqhwLK
Although the No. 11 seed Drake taking down the No. 6 seed Missouri looks like an upset on the surface, the Bulldogs have had a dominant season. Drake came into the tournament 30-3, with a perfect non-conference record which included wins over Vanderbilt, Miami, Florida Atlantic and Kansas State. They beat Bradley in the Missouri Valley Conference title game to earn the conference's automatic bid.
Ben McCollum took over the program this after Darian DeVries left for the West Virginia job, where he's now headed to Indiana after just one season. McCollum came from Division II Northwest Missouri State and has already made a tremendous impact at the next level.
Drake awaits the winner of Texas Tech and UNC Wilmington in the round of 32.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Drake Gets First NCAA Tournament Win Since 1971 With Upset Over Missouri.
