For the second straight year, Drake and Northern Iowa matchup in the opening round of the Missouri Valley Conference tournament. The recent history of this series has been close games. Drake won by two in Des Moines, then the Panthers claimed an overtime win in Cedar Falls. Drake coach Kurt Kanaskie looks for a similar result tonight. Drake lost a chance to finish sixth in the Valley race by dropping its final two games, but Kanaskie says he has been proud of what this team has accomplished. The game will be played in St.Louis, but U-N-I Coach Sam Weaver says that won’t diminish the in-state rivalry. Despite losing four players to grades early in the conference race, Weaver says the Bulldogs have remained competitive. Drake is 12-15 overall while U-N-I is 6-23. Last year, Drake claimed a one-point victory in the opening round of the tournament.
