Game 8 - #5 UIC 72, #9 Drake 51
Saturday, March 7, 2026
MVC Tournament Notes — With just its third MVC Tournament win, UIC advanced to the championship game for the first time ever. The No. 5 seed is 34-47 in the MVC Tournament and this marks the seventh time the No. 5 seed has advanced to the championship game and first time since 2019 when then No. 5 Bradley beat No. 6 UNI, 67-54. Drake had a record 11-game MVC Tournament winning streak snapped - the longest in tournament history.
UIC Notes — The Flames, winning their second straight game, moved to 19-14 - their most wins since the 2017-2018 season while advancing to the championship game for the first time. UIC improved its MVC Tournament record to 3-3. UIC won its third straight game against Drake but still trails in the series, 11-6.
The Flames outrebounded Drake, 40-28, while reaching the 40-rebound mark for the 11th time this season, going 9-2 in those games. The Flames also dominated with 40 points in the paint. UIC is 5-0 on the year when holding opponents under 60 points, 7-2 when holding opponents under 40% shooting, 15-5 when outrebounding opponents, and 7-0 in games decided by 20 points or more this season.
Flames Player Plaudits — Freshman guard Rashund Washington Jr. scored a game-high 23 points, while adding six rebounds. Junior guard Mekhi Lowery was 5-for-5 from the field for 12 points to go with a season-high 12 boards for his third double-double this season and sixth of his career...he’s a scorching 10-for-12 from the floor in his last two games. Sophomore guard Elijah Crawford added 12 points, eight in the second half. Junior guard Ahmad Henderson II finished with 10 points. Freshman guard Andy Johnson pulled down a career-tying best seven rebounds.
Drake Notes - The Bulldogs, who had a two-game winning streak snapped, closed the season with a 14-20 record under first-year coach Eric Henderson. The Bulldogs MVC Tournament record fell to 34-44, including a 6-5 mark as the No. 9 seed. Drake tied a season low with 18 field goals, while the 28 rebounds and the .321 field goal percentage were the second lowest of the season.
Drake Player Plaudits – Senior transfer Jalen Quinn led Drake with 14 points, his 30th double-digit scoring game of season. Quinn moved into No. 5 on the school single-season scoring list at 669, passing Red Murrell who scored 668 points in the 1957-58 season. Sophomore guard Owen Larson had 12 points, posting his fifth straight double figure scoring game (11th of season)...Redshirt guard Eli Shetlar made three three-point baskets, marking the 12th time he’s made three or more treys in a game. With the injury to Andrew Alia during Friday’s quarterfinal round win vs. Belmont, senior transfer Jaehshon Thomas made his 13th start of the season for Drake-his first since a Feb. 15 game at UNI. Thomas came off the bench scoring 13 points, including 11 in the second half, to key Drake’s 100-79 victory past No. 1 seed Belmont Friday.
First Half Recap — Drake struggled to find its rhythm, starting just 2-of-10 from the field while the Flames used a 7-0 run to take a 13-6 lead. After UIC missed four straight shots, Drake trimmed the deficit to 13-10. The Flames responded following the under-12 media timeout with eight consecutive points, including six from Mekhi Lowery, pushing the advantage to 21-10 and forcing a Drake timeout. UIC extended the lead to its largest margin of the half at 23-10 completing a 10-0 run. Drake began to chip away as Okku Federiko ended the run at the 7:51 mark, sparking a 7-0 Bulldog stretch capped by five straight points from Jalen Quinn. Drake closed within 29-25 late, but UIC responded to take a 34-27 halftime,while controlling the glass 21-12.
Second Half Recap — Drake trimmed the deficit when Eli Shetlar knocked down a three-pointer at the 14:42 mark to make it 43-39, the Bulldogs’ closest margin since trailing 13-10 in the first half. UIC answered with a 6-2 spurt to push the lead to 49-41. Drake missed eight consecutive field goals and went 6:12 without a basket, allowing UIC to extend the lead to 60-46 following a 7-0 run — the largest margin of the game to that point. UIC added another 7-0 surge to stretch the advantage to 67-49. Rashund Washington Jr. poured in 12 of his career-high 23 points in the second half as the Flames shot 52 percent compared to Drake’s 25 percent and closed the game on a dominant 12-2 run.