MOLINE, Ill. – The Drake University women's basketball team starts Missouri Valley Conference Tournament play Friday at 5 p.m. inside the TaxSlayer Center in Moline, Ill.
 
The 2021 MVC Tournament comes one year after the 2020 MVC Tournament was cancelled due to the global COVID-19 pandemic.
 
This year, Drake (15-10) is the two seed and will play Friday's quarterfinal round against Thursday's winner between No. 7 Valparaiso and No. 10 Evansville. Drake has been the MVC regular season champion or finished runner-up the past seven-straight seasons. The Bulldogs seek to win their eighth MVC Tournament title in program history and their third in the past five seasons. The winner of the tournament receives the Valley's automatic berth to the 2021 NCAA Tournament.
 
For the second-straight season, Drake rallied for a thrilling comeback overtime victory on its senior day at the Knapp Center, this season coming in the regular season finale versus Valpo. The Bulldogs overcame a five-point deficit with less than one minute in regulation, went to overtime for the first time this year and ended up winning, 71-66.
 
If Drake wins its quarterfinal it advances to Saturday's semifinals at 4 p.m. against either No. 3 Illinois State or No. 6 Loyola, which square off at 8 p.m. Friday night.
 
Every MVC Tournament game for the Bulldogs will be streamed on ESPN+ and on the radio on 1350 ESPN Des Moines.