Joseph Yesufu scored 21 points and Drake held on to beat Wichita State 53-52 in a tense First Four matchup between former Missouri Valley Conference rivals. Wichita State left for the American Athletic Conference in 2017. Both mid-major powers were given at-large bids into the NCAA field, and their matchup was dominated by defense — Drake shot 38% while Wichita State shot 34%. We just didn’t get it done tonight.”AdDrake missed 10 straight shots as Wichita State built an early 18-6 lead. Wichita State was scoreless for the last five minutes of the half.

It was their eighth victory this season by five points or fewer, and their highest-ranked victim at home since beating No. Suddenly, a program that began the season in turmoil is on the right side of the NCAA Tournament bubble. At one point the Ducks had six of seven games postponed by COVID-19, and that streak ended with an ugly loss to Washington State. But they followed with five straight wins, including one over fellow bubble-dweller Colorado, heading into an important game against No. That makes their game against Oregon on Thursday night crucial for helping out a shaky resume.