UIC Flames Stun Drake Bulldogs 72-51 in MVC Tournament Semifinal, Advance to First-Ever Championship Game

In a dominant performance at the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament, the No. 5 seed UIC Flames dismantled the No. 9 seed Drake Bulldogs by a final score of 72-51. This victory marked UIC’s third-ever win in the MVC Tournament and propelled them into the championship game for the first time in program history.

The Flames (19-14) extended their momentum with a second straight win, surpassing their previous season-high in victories (most since 2017-18) while improving their tournament record to 3-3. UIC has now won three consecutive games against Drake, though the all-time series still favors the Bulldogs 11-6.

UIC controlled the game from the boards and the interior, outrebounding Drake 40-28 — marking the 11th time this season they’ve hit 40 rebounds (9-2 in such games). They poured in 40 points in the paint and held the Bulldogs to just 51 points, improving to 5-0 when keeping opponents under 60.

Defensively, UIC was stifling, limiting Drake to a season-second-low .321 field goal percentage and only 18 made field goals (tied for season low). The Flames are now 7-2 when holding foes under 40% shooting, 15-5 when outrebounding opponents, and a perfect 7-0 in games won by 20+ points.

Leading the charge for UIC was freshman guard Rashund Washington Jr., who erupted for a game-high and career-best 23 points (12 in the second half) along with six rebounds.

Junior guard Mekhi Lowery was perfect from the field (5-for-5) for 12 points and matched a season-high with 12 rebounds for his third double-double of the year (sixth career). Lowery has been red-hot, going 10-for-12 from the floor over his last two games.

Sophomore guard Elijah Crawford chipped in 12 points, including eight after halftime, while junior guard Ahmad Henderson II added 10. Freshman guard Andy Johnson tied his career high with seven rebounds.

For Drake (14-20), the loss snapped an impressive record 11-game MVC Tournament winning streak — the longest in tournament history — and ended their season under first-year coach Eric Henderson. The Bulldogs fell to 34-44 all-time in the MVC Tournament, including 6-5 as the No. 9 seed.

Senior transfer Jalen Quinn paced Drake with 14 points (his 30th double-digit scoring game), moving into No. 5 on the school’s single-season scoring list with 669 points (passing Red Murrell’s 668 from 1957-58).

Sophomore guard Owen Larson scored 12 points for his fifth straight double-figure outing (11th of the season). Redshirt guard Eli Shetlar hit three three-pointers (his 12th game with 3+ threes). Senior transfer Jaehshon Thomas (13th start) scored 13 points, including 11 in the second half.

First Half: Drake started cold (2-of-10 from the field) as UIC jumped out to a 13-6 lead with a 7-0 run. After a brief Drake response to 13-10, the Flames answered with eight straight points (six from Lowery) to make it 21-10, forcing a timeout. UIC pushed the margin to 23-10 on a 10-0 burst. Drake fought back with a 7-0 spurt (capped by five straight from Quinn) to close within 29-25, but UIC took a 34-27 halftime lead while dominating the glass 21-12.

Second Half: The Bulldogs briefly cut it to 43-39 on a Shetlar three at 14:42 — their closest since early in the first half. UIC responded with a 6-2 run to 49-41. Drake then went ice-cold, missing eight straight shots and going scoreless for over six minutes, allowing UIC to build to 60-46 on a 7-0 run. Another 7-0 Flames surge made it 67-49, and UIC closed on a commanding 12-2 run to seal the 21-point victory, shooting 52% in the half to Drake’s 25%.

With this historic win, the Flames now set their sights on the MVC Tournament championship — a milestone moment for the program as they chase an automatic NCAA Tournament bid.