NCAA Tournament Cinderella? Drake storms back to oust Wichita State in First Four play-in duel
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Potential Cinderellas you need to know this March Madness
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Drake stormed back from a double-digit, second-half deficit to knock off Wichita State, 53-52, Thursday in a First Four thriller between two No. 11 seeds at Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, Indiana.
In dispatching the Shockers, the Bulldogs position themselves to be a Cinderella in this NCAA Tournament. Drake was a bubble team that was one of the last four teams to squeeze into the field of 68. The win came one day after coach Darian DeVries was signed to an eight-year contract extension.
Wichita State’s Dexter Dennis made it a one-point game off a steal and pull-up three-pointer with 8.1 seconds remaining. Joseph Yesufu, who drove Drake’s charge offensively with 19 points, missed a free throw with six seconds left to leave the door open for a Wichita State buzzer-beater. But Alterique Gilbert missed a potential game-winning three-pointer as time ran out.
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The Bulldogs (26-4) trailed for almost the entirety of the game, taking the lead with 4:16 left – off a Darnelle Brodie bucket – for the first time since the game’s opening minutes.
Morris Udeze paced the Shockers (16-6) offensively with 22 points. Wichita State had an adversity-ridden season, parting ways with longtime coach Gregg Marshall before the season over alleged physical and emotional abuse. Coach Isaac Brown took over and guided WSU to an American Athletic Conference regular-season title.
Follow college basketball reporter Scott Gleeson on Twitter @ScottMGleeson.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NCAA Tournament Cinderella? Drake storms back to oust Wichita State in First Four play-in duel