DES MOINES, Iowa – The Drake University women's basketball team and the Missouri State Lady Bears square off on Super Bowl Sunday (Feb. 7) at the Knapp Center in a battle between the co-leaders of the Missouri Valley Conference. Tipoff is slated for 2 p.m. and will be broadcast via On The Valley On ESPN3.
 
Drake (15-6, 8-2 MVC) cruised past Wichita State by a score of 81-59 on Friday night as four different Bulldogs scored in double figures and the team shot a blistering 56.6 percent from the floor. Freshman Sara Rhine (Eldon, Mo.) scored a game-high 16 points while junior Lizzy Wendell (Blue Springs, Mo.) added 15 points. A pair of Bulldog freshmen, Nicole Miller (Walker, Iowa) and Sammie Bachrodt (Wichita, Kan.) finished with 13 and 10 points, respectively.
 
Wichita State (5-16, 2-8 MVC) led for the final time by a score of 9-7 with 5:21 to play in the first quarter. The Bulldogs answered though as Paige Greiner (Williamsburg, Iowa) and Wendell each scored six points in the final two minutes of the opening quarter as the Bulldogs outscored the Shockers 12-4 during that span to lead 25-13 after one period.
 
Another run, this one a 17-2 spurt, propelled Drake to a 48-23 halftime advantage. In the final two quarters, Drake led by as many as 34 points, as the Bulldogs cruised to its second win over the Shockers this season. It's the first time since the 2008-09 season that Drake has beat Wichita State twice in one season.
 
Missouri State (15-7, 8-2 MVC) defeated UNI, 78-75, in overtime Friday in Cedar Falls, Iowa as sophomore Liza Fruendt hit a game-tying three with 21.4 seconds left in regulation to force OT. In the extra time, senior Tyonna Snow scored all 10 points for the Lady Bears as they earned their 10^th consecutive MVC road win. Snow leads MSU in scoring at 15.3 points per game.
 
The all-time series between Drake and Missouri State is one of the best and closest in the conference as the Lady Bears have a slight edge, 40-38, in the series. Drake edged Missouri State, 82-75, in the first meeting of the season in Springfield, Mo. back on Jan. 8.
 
Following Sunday's game, Drake has road games at Illinois State (Feb. 12) and at Indiana State (Feb. 14) next weekend. Both games will be online via On The Valley On ESPN3.