Drake eyes first MVC tournament title

Mar 9, 2008 - 1:26 PM By PA SportsTicker

Drake is one step away from capping a remarkable season.

The 21st-ranked Bulldogs look to officially clinch their first NCAA Tournament berth since 1971, when they take on Illinois State in the Missouri Valley Conference championship game on Sunday.

It is Drake's first appearance in the title game in the 32-year history the MVC tournament after the Bulldogs had a semifinal victory over Creighton, 75-67, on Saturday. Drake cruised, 68-46, in the quarterfinals against Indiana State on Friday.

The conference's Player of the Year, Adam Emmenecker has led Drake in both tournament wins. The senior had 13 points and 10 rebounds against Indiana State and followed it up with 20 points and a career-high 11 assists in Saturday's victory over the Bluejays.

Drake (27-4), which set a new school record for wins in a season with the semifinal victory, is also looking to become the first No. 1 seed to win the MVC tournament since 1998.

At the beginning of the season, the Bulldogs were considered a long shot just to be in this position, as they were picked to finish ninth in the league's preseason poll.

"It means a lot to us as individuals," Emmenecker said. "Going through the struggles of the last three and four years, to have so many seniors and fourth- or fifth-year players on this team that are major contributors.

"It's for our fans that have been here since 1969. The fans that have been diehard Drake fans and have went through, you know, some of the lowest lows in college basketball over that time and they've still stuck with this team."

Standing in their way are the second-seeded Redbirds, who are playing in the championship game since winning back-to-back titles in 1997 and 1998.

Illinois State (24-8) owns the league's best defense, and smothered Northern Iowa in Saturday's 56-42 triumph. The Redbirds posted a 63-58 victory over Missouri State in the quarterfinal round on Friday.

Illinois State's leading scorer Osiris Eldridge has 13 points in each victory during the tournament, and combined for 37 in a pair of defeats to Drake during the regular season.

The Missouri Valley Conference title game is the only automatic bid up for grabs on Sunday.

Three teams qualified for the NCAA Tournament on Saturday with Winthrop winning the Big South championship for the fourth straight season, Austin Peay claiming the Ohio Valley Conference title and Belmont winning its third straight Atlantic Sun crown.

So far, four of the 31 automatic bids for the NCAA Tournament have been claimed, with Cornell being the first after completing a perfect season in the Ivy League. The Ivy League is the only Division I conference that does not host a postseason tournament.