WICHITA, Kan. — And so it ends.
In front of an upset-hungry audience and against an apparently hungrier team, Missouri men’s basketball’s stumbled feverishly but fruitlessly into the season-ending dusk of March.
The No. 11 seed Drake Bulldogs played their game — slowly, patiently and with plenty of Bennett Stirtz. The No. 6 seed Missouri Tigers tried to complicate things with a late rally, but fell short.
So down they went. Upset, maddeningly. Eliminated from the NCAA Tournament in the first round, just like that, for the 14th time in the program’s 30 March Madness appearances.