In the opening round of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament on Thursday at the Enterprise Center, the No. 9 seed Drake Bulldogs authored a stirring comeback, rallying from a halftime deficit to edge No. 8 seed Southern Illinois 67-63 and extend their remarkable postseason run.
Drake (13-19) notched its 10th consecutive MVC Tournament victory — the longest such streak in league history — snapping a nine-game skid in the process. The Bulldogs, under first-year coach Eric Henderson, advance to a quarterfinal matchup against top-seeded Belmont on Friday at noon. As the No. 9 seed, Drake improved to 19-31 in first-round tournament games since the format’s inception, marking the first win for a No. 9 in that spot since Missouri State topped Murray State in 2024.
Jalen Quinn, the senior transfer and MVC’s leading scorer at 19.4 points per game, delivered when it mattered most. Held scoreless until the final minutes of the first half, Quinn erupted for 22 points overall, including 16 after the break in his 17th 20-point performance of the season. He vaulted to No. 8 on Drake’s single-season scoring list with 624 points, surpassing Willie McCarter’s 603 from 1967-68.
Eli Shetlar added 16 points and matched a career high with three steals, while sophomore guard Owen Larson contributed 14 points — highlighted by a career-tying four 3-pointers — outscoring his combined output (nine points) from two regular-season meetings with SIU. The trio accounted for 33 of Drake’s 40 second-half points.
Southern Illinois (16-16) saw its four-game winning streak snapped in what proved to be its season finale. The Salukis, who dominated the glass with a season-high 21 offensive rebounds, struggled at the charity stripe, going just 3-for-9 (33.3 percent) to tie a season low.
Quel’Ron House, the sophomore guard, paced SIU with a career-high 28 points, including 10 of the team’s first 13 in the second half. He reached double figures in 25 of 30 games this season and hit 20+ eight times, while also setting a personal best with three 3-pointers. Sophomore forward Rolyns Aligbe tied his career high with 16 rebounds (his seventh double-digit effort), and senior guard Davion Sykes added 11 points and a season-best eight boards.
The first half belonged to the Salukis, who overcame an 0-for-10 start and Drake’s early 8-0 burst to lead 31-27 at the break. SIU built its largest advantage at 27-18 during a stretch of runs, owning a commanding 27-12 rebounding edge (15-10 offensive).
But the second half told a different story. Quinn and Larson combined for 14 points in the opening 8:20 to push Drake ahead 46-44. Freshman center Griffen Goodbary then provided a spark off the bench, scoring five straight points in a 42-second flurry to make it 53-48 — a cushion the Bulldogs protected the rest of the way.
Drake clamped down defensively in the closing minutes, limiting SIU to one basket over the final 2:21 while Shetlar (five points) and Quinn (four) combined for the game’s last nine points in the final 3:16 to seal the gritty victory.
The win improves Drake’s MVC Tournament record to 33-43 overall (5-4 as the No. 9 seed) and 6-3 against SIU in tournament play (four straight victories), while advancing them to the quarterfinals for the ninth straight year dating to 2018. For the Salukis, the defeat drops their tournament mark to 39-42 (14-48 as the No. 8 seed) and 3-6 lifetime versus Drake in the event.
