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GAME NOTES: The top-seeded Northern Iowa Panthers begin their repeat attempt today, as they take on the eighth-seeded Drake Bulldogs in the quarterfinals of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament at the Scottrade Center. The victor of this contest will move on to face the winner of the Creighton/Bradley matchup in the semifinals on Saturday.

For the second year in a row, the Panthers are the top seed and they are trying to become the first repeat champions since Creighton in 2002-03. UNI, which split the regular-season title with Creighton last season, won its first outright crown with a 15-3 finish this year. The Panthers set a school record for overall wins with 25 and were the only team in the MVC to be ranked at some point this season.

As for Drake, it kicked off the MVC Tournament last night with a thrilling 63-61 victory over ninth-seeded Southern Illinois. It was a dramatic finish for the Bulldogs, who are now 15-30 all-time in this event and still in the hunt for their second title in three years.

In regard to the all-time series, UNI holds a 32-23 advantage over Drake and that includes a sweep of the regular season meetings.

Josh Young hit a 10-foot jumper with 1.5 seconds remaining, giving the Bulldogs a dramatic 63-61 victory over Southern Illinois last night. The shot capped off a 22-10 run to close the game for the Bulldogs, who shot 45.7 percent from the field, including 10-of-25 from long range. Young, averaging a team-high 14.6 ppg for the season, finished the game with 14 points and three assists. Ryan Wedel led the way with 19 points on 5-of-8 three-pointers, while Adam Templeton added 11 points and six boards. Both players averaged double figures during the regular season, as Wedel turned in 10.9 ppg and Templeton 10.0 ppg.

The Panthers are one of the stingiest teams in the nation, as they are holding opponents to a mere 55.3 ppg. Adam Koch is a presence at both ends and he was recognized for his success by being named the MVC Player of the Year. A first- team All-MVC selection as well, Koch averages a team-high 12.4 ppg to go with 4.8 rpg. Jordan Eglseder, a seven-foot center, earned second-team all-league honors after producing 12.2 ppg and a team-best 7.5 rpg during the regular season. Kwadzo Ahelegbe meanwhile, is the squad's best scorer at the perimeter, as he turns in 10.5 ppg for the Panthers.

The Bulldogs are coming off a thrilling win, but their run stops here, as the Panthers are too tough defensively.