Sat Mar 22 22:40:00 UTC 2025: **Drake Advances to NCAA Tournament Round of 32, Faces Tough Texas Tech Test**

DES MOINES, IA – Drake University’s Bulldogs basketball team continues its impressive NCAA Tournament run after defeating the No. 6 seed Missouri Tigers, 67-57, on Thursday. Their reward? A matchup against the formidable No. 3 seed Texas Tech Red Raiders on Saturday.

Texas Tech, boasting a potent offense ranked No. 5 nationally in adjusted efficiency (KenPom), presents a significant challenge. The Red Raiders are strong three-point shooters (37.4%) and feature three players averaging 14 or more points per game. Key players include Big 12 Player of the Year, sophomore forward Pop Toppin (17.9 points, 9.2 rebounds), and junior forward Darrion Williams (14 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists). While senior guard Kerwin Walton (6.4 ppg) unexpectedly exploded for 27 points in their first-round win, the status of 14 ppg scorer Chance McMillian remains uncertain due to an upper-body injury. He’s missed the last two games and is questionable for Saturday’s contest.

The game will be broadcast on CBS, TBS, TNT, or truTV, and streamed on March Madness Live. CBS games will also stream on Paramount+, while TNT, TBS, and truTV games will stream on Max. Tickets are still available for Saturday’s doubleheader, which includes the Drake-Texas Tech game followed by Gonzaga versus Houston. Texas Tech’s recent history includes seven tournament appearances in the last eight seasons and three trips past the first weekend, culminating in a 2019 national championship game appearance.

*(Note: Affiliate disclosure removed as it’s not relevant to a news article.)*

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