NORMAL, Ill. – Junior Lizzy Wendell (Blue Springs, Mo.) scored a game-high 26 points as the Drake University women's basketball team shot past the Illinois State Redbirds by a score of 98-58 on Friday night at Redbird Arena. Wendell's big night moved her to 10^th all-time in Drake history with 1,685 career points as she passed former standout Rachael Hackbarth (2008-12).
 
Drake (17-6, 10-2 MVC) had balanced scoring as all nine Bulldogs scored at least three points and made at least one three-pointer as the team made a season-high 15 from beyond the arc. Joining Wendell in double figures was junior Sara Rhine (Eldon, Mo.) with 20 points who also added nine rebounds while junior Caitlin Ingle (Runnells, Iowa) scored 10 points and handed out a game-leading eight assists. Wendell posted an impressive stat line along with her game-high 26, adding six rebounds, six assists, four steals and one block in 26 minutes.
 
"I loved the way we moved the ball as a team tonight," said Drake head coach Jennie Baranczyk. "Illinois State dictated the pace in the first quarter, but we stayed with it and kept to our philosophy and game plan and the shots started falling in the second quarter. I've never seen every player on a team hit at least one three-pointer in the same game."
 
Illinois State (6-16, 4-7 MVC) was led by Katrina Beck with 13 points and Shakeela Fowler with 12 points.
 
Drake was up by 12 points at halftime, but quickly broke the game wide open early in the third quarter as a 10-0 Bulldogs' run doubled up the score at 55-33. Rhine scored four points and freshman Nicole Miller (Walker, Iowa) and sophomore Maddy Dean (Jordan, Minn.) each made a three-pointer as the run propelled the team to 32 points in the period.
 
Emma Donahue (Naperville, Ill.), Paige Greiner (Williamsburg, Iowa) and Miller just missed double digits as they each had nine points. Dean finished with eight points and nine rebounds. Greiner made three three-pointers for the second straight game.
 
Drake opened the second quarter with an 11-2 scoring run after the score was tied after the first period. The Bulldogs overcame a slow shooting start in the first quarter by making their final three shots to help even the score at 18-18 after one. Wendell moved into 10^th all-time with a three-pointer at the 5:55 mark.
 
Drake closes the weekend at Indiana State on Sunday with a 1 p.m. tipoff against the Sycamores. The contest will be available via On The Valley On ESPN3.