The Missouri Valley Conference slate is not even halfway complete but a marquee matchup awaits Drake on Thursday (Jan. 31) as a one versus two showdown is on tap with the Bulldogs traveling to battle first place Illinois State. The game gets underway at 7:05 p.m. with KRNT (1350 AM) carrying the radio broadcast starting with the pregame show at approximately 6:35 p.m.

THE SERIES
For the 54th time in school history, the Bulldogs square off against Illinois State when the two sides hit the court on Thursday (Jan. 31). Drake has gotten the better of the series winning 30 encounters, including going 16-9 at home, 12-14 in Normal and 2-0 on neutral floors. The 30 victories have come by an average of 11.6 points, while the team has fallen by an average margin of 9.6 in its 23 setbacks.

PREVIEWING THE REDBIRDS
Illinois State comes into action on Thursday (Jan. 31) having won its last 13 games, including seven straight to begin the MVC schedule. Kristi Cirone, the 2007 MVC Player of the Year, sparks the Redbirds, averaging a league-best 16.9 points and 6.28 assists. Ashleen Bracey is ISU's top rebounder pulling down 7.6 caroms per night. The Redbirds register 78.7 points, while limiting the opposition to 62.3 points. ISU's head coach Robin Pingeton served as an assistant coach at Drake from 1990-92 as a member of Lisa Bluder's staff

PLUMMER'S BUZZER BEATER LIFTS DRAKE OVER UNI, 66-63
A three-pointer as time expired from sophomore Jordann Plummer (St. Louis, Mo./Cardinal Ritter) propelled Drake to a 66-63 victory over in-state rival Northern Iowa on Sunday (Jan. 27) to help the Bulldogs extend their home-court winning streak to five and in the process snap a six-game slide to Iowa Big Four opponents.

The basket was the only one in the affair for Plummer.

The game came down to the wire as the Panthers held the Bulldogs scoreless for 5:49 and parlayed an 8-0 run to overcome a 61-54 deficit to take the lead, 62-61, with layup by Lizzie Boeck with exactly two minutes remaining.

Senior Lindsay Whorton (Independence, Mo./Truman) put Drake back on top, 63-62, connecting on a jumper with 1:03 left.

Danielle Wubbens missed a jumper with 43 seconds remaining, which senior Jill Martin (Norwalk, Iowa/Norwalk) corralled for the defensive rebound. Martin was whistled for a traveling violation as she fell to the floor pulling down the rebound, which gave the ball right back to Northern Iowa.

The Panthers missed two attempts at the basket before Plummer bailed out Boeck on a foul. She missed the front end of two tosses before hitting her second shot to tie the contest at 63 with 17 seconds remaining.

The Bulldogs brought the ball up the floor with Martin passing the ball as a double-team collapsed on her to Plummer for the game-winner.

Drake finished the game shooting 39.3 percent from the floor, while Northern Iowa bettered that mark connecting on 41.3 percent of its attempts.
The contest was a battle throughout as there were eight ties and 22 lead changes.

Martin finished the affair with a 17-point, 11-rebound effort to record her league-leading sixth double-double of the year and 32nd of her career, tops among active players in the MVC. Whorton and junior Lauren Dybing (Bloomington, Minn./St. Croix Lutheran) each contributed 15 points to the Drake victory.

Boeck paced the Panthers with a 17-point, seven-rebound effort, while Jacqui Kalin joined her in double-figures with 14 points.

The Bulldogs were outrebounded by Northern Iowa, 42-39, while Drake took care of the basketball, committing a season-low 10 turnovers.

IN OUR LAST MEETING
For the brave and hearty who ventured out on a snowy Iowa evening, Drake and Illinois State put on a show as the Redbirds escaped with a 67-61 victory on March 1, 2007.

Lindsay Whorton became the 19th 1,000-point scorer in Drake history when she connected on a free throw with 1.3 seconds remaining in the game.

Drake shot a blistering 56.5 percent in the second half to overcome a 33-26 halftime deficit to knot the game at 54 on a lay-up by Monique Jones (Lees Summit, Mo./Lees Summit North) with 5:12 remaining.

The two sides battled back-and-forth down the stretch before ISU sealed the win with two free throws by Nicolle Lewis with five seconds left in the game.

Drake shot 48.1 percent from the floor, while the Redbirds hit at 44.0 percent.

Whorton led all scorers with 23 and was joined in double-figures by junior Brandy Dahir (Carrollton, Texas/Creekview) with 18 points.

ONE YEAR AGO
Drake was 6-12 through 18 games a season ago with a 69-61 victory over Wichita State. Brandy Dahir netted 29 points in helping head coach Amy Stephens to her 50th win at Drake.

ON THIS DATE IN BULLDOG HISTORY
Drake will be playing for the ninth time in school history on Jan. 31 when the Bulldogs face Illinois State. The Blue and White have gone 2-6 in the previous eight encounters, including a 2-3 mark on the road.

A MID-TERM EXAM
The meeting between Drake and Illinois State will mark the seventh time in MVC history that two teams with at least six wins and no more than one loss have met, with the last occurring on Jan. 23, 2005 when Missouri State (6-1) defeated visiting Creighton (6-0), 66-51. Teams that have made it to at 6-1 in the MVC have gone a combined 37-5 in their eighth league contest.

DYBING NAMED MVC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Lauren Dybing was selected as the State Farm/MVC Women's Basketball Player of the Week on Monday (Jan. 28).

Dybing turned in back-to-back gems last week averaging a team-high 18.0 points per game, while pulling down 8.0 rebounds and blocking 2.0 shots in helping the Bulldogs to a 2-0 mark.

Dybing established new career highs in scoring (21) and rebounding (9) in lifting Drake to a 75-70 win over Bradley on Thursday (Jan. 24). She contributed five of her career- and game-high 21 points in an 18-7 run over the final 4:42 to allow the Bulldogs to overcome a six-point deficit en route to collecting the victory. She connected on 7-of-9 shots from the field and made 7-of-9 at the free throw line while adding a block.

In Drake's 66-63 victory over Northern Iowa on Sunday (Jan. 27), she poured in her third straight double-figure scoring output with 15 points, while pulling down seven rebounds and rejecting a career-best three shots in helping Drake end a six-game losing streak to in-state opponents. She finished the contest 5-for-11 from the floor, and drained 5-of-7 at the line.

BULLDOG FIRSTS
? The Bulldogs' 55-52 win at SIU (Jan. 18) gave Drake its first 2-0 MVC road start since the 2001-02 season.
? Drake's 73-51 victory at Creighton (Jan. 12) marked the first win in a road MVC opener since posting a 68-62 triumph over Bradley on Dec. 29, 2005.
? The Bulldogs opened their league slate at home for the first time since the 2002-03 campaign and the initial time under Stephens, and registered a 72-42 victory over Missouri State (Jan. 4).
? Drake's 37-point margin of victory (83-46) versus Wichita State was the largest in series history.
? The Bulldogs' stifling defense is allowing just 55.1 points per MVC game this season, while allowing the opposition to connect on just 37.2 percent, both league lows.

DRAKE WITH A WIN AGAINST ILLINOIS STATE
? Equals its victory total for the entire 2006-07 campaign (14).
? Snaps a three-game losing streak to Illinois State posting first win in Normal since a 68-52 victory on Feb. 1, 2003.
? Registers fifth road victory of the year, the most triumphs away from home since posting five during the 2005-06 season.
? Moves to 7-1 in the MVC for the first time since the 2000-01 season.
? Marks the third time this season Drake has enjoyed a three-game winning streak.

A LITTLE OFF THE WALL
? Over the program's 34-year history, the Bulldogs have posted a 165-69 mark (.705) against schools from Illinois.
? When facing ISU after a victory, the Bulldogs have posted a 22-14 mark.
? Twenty-six of these meetings have come on odd-numbered days, with Drake going 16-10.
? The Bulldogs are 8-12 all-time against ISU in tilts decided by five points or less.
? The Blue and White are 10-1 in games played on even-numbered days this season and 3-4 in odd-numbered game dates.
? The Bulldogs are 13-10 all-time versus the Redbirds in the month of January.
? After going 7-3 in televised games a year ago, the Blue and White are 4-0 this season when on the tube, earning road victories at Milwaukee (Dec. 13) and Southern Illinois (Jan. 18) and at home versus Missouri State (Jan. 4) and Northern Iowa (Jan. 27). In the same span, the Bulldogs have posted four victories when on MVC TV.
? The victory by Drake over Montana State gave the Bulldogs wins over teams from 16 states under Stephens. Drake has beaten squads from Illinois (16), Missouri (8), Indiana (7), Kansas (7), Nebraska (7), Iowa (5), California (3), Michigan (3), Ohio (2), Colorado (1), Oregon (1), South Dakota (1), Utah (1), Virginia (1) and Wisconsin (1).
? Under Stephens, the Bulldogs are 41-32 in their next game after a victory and are 39-14 in the same scenario after Jill Martin has led the team in scoring.

DEFENSE BE THY GAME
Defense has been the key to the surge of late as Drake has held eight of its last 11 opponents under 60 points en route to a 9-2 mark. In that span, the Bulldogs are connecting on 43.3 percent of their shots, including a decided 32.6-22.6 percent advantage beyond the arc. Opponents are shooting 37.3 percent from the field, while averaging 36.9 rebounds, 9.9 assists, 6.7 steals and 16.9 turnovers per game.

IN THE LATEST NCAA RPI RANKINGS
Drake comes in at No. 79 in the Jan. 30 NCAA RPI rankings, the second-best mark among MVC schools, trailing only Illinois State (No. 35). While the Bulldogs have played five games against top-100 opponents, Drake has gone 1-4 in those contests, with its victory coming over Creighton on Jan. 12. The average RPI ranking of the Bulldogs' opponents thus far this season has been 155.8.

ALL BULLDOGS LOVE JANUARY
The Bulldogs have enjoyed success in the month of January over the years, producing a 180-104 all-time record in the month. The Blue and White are 107-35 at home, 70-65 on the road and 4-3 at neutral sites. Drake has eight games this month, including four at home where the squad is 8-2 this season.

THE QUEEN OF THE THREE
History was made at the 4:09 mark of the second half versus Bradley on Jan. 24 when Lindsay Whorton drained her second three-pointer of the affair to move into sole possession of first place in school history with her 237th career triple. The three-pointer vaulted her past Julie Rittgers (1991-95), who recorded 236 during her distinguished Drake career. She stands as the active leader in the MVC in career triples (238) for both men's and women's basketball. Jeremy Crouch of Bradley is the men's leader with 211.

A SUPER SENIOR
Having dubbed herself Drake's “Super Senior”, Jill Martin has reestablished herself as arguably one of, if not, the premier player, in the MVC this season. A year after undergoing the second back surgery of her career, her play has continually turned heads as a potential all-conference and all-America candidate. Averaging team highs in scoring (16.6) and rebounding (8.1), she ranks among the MVC leaders in six categories. She has posted double-figures in scoring and rebounds 16 and six times, respectively this season. Her six double-doubles lead the MVC this year, while she is the active conference leader in career double-doubles with 32. She has cracked double-digits in scoring 92 times as a Bulldog and has played in 112 contests, including 109 starts. She is only the seventh Drake player to have posted at least 1,500 points and 800 rebounds. The Bulldogs are 17-4 over the past two seasons when she scores at least 10 points.

BEHIND THE SCENES WITH THE BULLDOGS
Drake was featured in the Jan. 22 edition of Iowa Sports Weekly on the Mediacom Connections channel as the show chronicled the Bulldogs behind the scenes during their trip to Creighton on Jan. 12. The show captured an all-encompassing look into life on the road for Drake and included interviews with players, coaches and support staff and offered a look into lockerroom strategy before and after the game.

EMERGING PATTERNS
? Eight different Bulldogs have led Drake in assists this season.
? Drake is 7-1 when Lauren Dybing leads the team in blocks.
? Jill Martin has led the Bulldogs in points and rebounds during nine games.
? Monique' Jones has averaged a team-best 2.8 offensive caroms in the last five games.
? Lauren Dybing is shooting a team-best 55.6 percent from the field in the last five contests, while Lindsay Whorton is distributing a team-high 3.0 assists in the same span.

BY THE NUMBERS
? When Drake fails to score at least 60 points this season, the Bulldogs are 1-3 and are shooting just 33.3 percent from the field, while turning the ball over more times (15.3) than their opponents (14.5).
? In tilts when the Bulldogs score in the 60's, Drake has posted a 2-2 mark, with Martin leading two Bulldogs in double-figures at 17.8 points per game. Drake is shooting 40.3 percent in these contests, while committing more turnovers (14.0) than assists (10.5).
? When the Bulldogs surpass the 70-point plateau, they have posted a 10-0 ledger and have tickled the twines at a .467 clip. Dybing, Plummer, freshman Kristin Turk (Des Moines, Iowa/Lincoln) and Morgan Herrick (Cedarburg, Wis./Cedarburg) are each shooting 50 percent or better from the field. Martin is shooting 49.6 percent from the floor and 45.5 percent beyond the arc, while averaging a team-best 17.9 points. The Bulldogs turn the ball over just 13.0 times, while distributing 15.6 assists.

TEAM TIDBITS
? Drake has scored 80 or more points in four games this season. Prior to this year, the Bulldogs had gone over the 80-point plateau seven times under Stephens and never more than twice in any one season.
? The Bulldog bench has outscored the opposition 12 times this season, with Drake going 10-2 in those games.
? Jill Martin sits in ninth place in school history with 1,657 points - 120 points shy of surpassing Julie Fitzpatrick (1,776-1984-89) for eighth place in school scoring annals.
? Lindsay Whorton is 14th in school history with 1,367 points, needing 193 points to supplant Julie Rittgers (1,559-1991-95) for 13th place.
? Brandy Dahir has registered 1,080 career points, good for 19th in school history. She needs two points to move past Jody Busing (1975-79) for 18th place.
? Martin is ranked among the top-10 in school history in rebounds (849), scoring (14.8) and rebounding averages (7.6), while Dahir is 10th in career field goal percentage (.511).
? Martin failed to score in double figures against Iowa State (Dec. 9) for the first time since Feb. 12, 2006, in a 63-62 victory over Creighton, a span of 22 games.
? Kristin Turk and Morgan Herrick registered their first career baskets at Iowa (Nov. 13). Turk notched her first career points on a nifty steal and drive in the first half, while Herrick matched her with a jumper in the second half.
? Freshman Katie DeWitt (Lino Lakes, Minn./Centennial) cracked the scoring column for the first time in her collegiate career with a first-half jumper against Missouri State (Jan. 4). Earlier in the season, she made her collegiate debut versus Sacramento State, making the most of her time with four rebounds in four minutes.
? The 37-point margins of victory versus Wichita State (Jan. 6) and Sacramento State (Nov. 16) were the largest by a Stephens' coached Drake team since defeating Western Illinois by 34 (79-45) on Nov. 12, 2006. They also stand as the fifth-largest scoring difference in school history.
? The 89 points against Sacramento State was the most by a Stephens' coached team in her five seasons, surpassing the 87 recorded in a 92-87 double-overtime setback to Indiana State on Jan. 26, 2006.
? Jordann Plummer, Martin, Whorton and Dybing have accounted for Drake's nine 20-point games this season. Plummer cracked the 20-point plateau versus Green Bay (Nov. 9), Martin did so against Western Michigan (Nov. 24), Kansas (Nov. 23), Weber State (Nov. 18) and UC Davis (Dec. 30), Whorton accomplished the feat against Weber State (Nov. 18), UC Davis (Dec. 30) and Missouri State (Jan. 4), while Dybing posted a career-high 21 points versus Bradley (Jan. 24). A year ago, the Bulldogs garnered 22, 20-point performances, including 10 from Dahir, seven from Whorton, three by Martin and one courtesy of Ashleigh Brady and Kelsey Keizer.
? The Bulldogs have finished with single-digit turnovers on seven occasions under Stephens.

CHARTING SOME TRENDS
? Jordann Plummer has drained all four three-pointers she has attempted over the course of the last five minutes of games this year.
? The return of Martin has made a strong impact for the Bulldogs at the free throw line where Drake is shooting 72.3 percent (289-of-400) versus 65.4 percent (202-of-309) through 18 games a year ago. The Bulldogs average 22.2 attempts per contest at the stripe against only 17.2 at the same point last season. If you take Martin's numbers out of the equation, Drake is shooting just 68.1 percent at the line.
? Drake has recorded more assists (122) than turnovers (118) in the second stanza of its 18 games, while committing more turnovers (129) than assists (117) in the first half.
? Plummer and Lauren Dybing are connecting on 78.6 percent (11-of-14) and 66.7 percent (8-of-12), respectively in the last five minutes of contests this season, while Dybing has rejected five shots.
? In the second half of games this season, Plummer has made 8-of-16 three-point attempts. Conversely, in the initial 20 minutes she is shooting just 18.8 percent (3-for-16).
? Junior Ashleigh Brady (Lubbock, Texas/Frenship) and Monique' Jones have both registered more offensive rebounds than defensive caroms in the final 20 minutes of games this year. Jones has a +3 ratio (20-17), while Brady is +4 (11-7).
? Ten of Dybing's team-high 17 blocks have come in the first half.
? Martin didn't attempt a free throw versus UC Davis, marking the first time in 13 games (Nov. 19, 2006 - Cal State Fullerton) she had not made a free throw. Additionally, it represented the first time since Jan. 6, 2005 versus Illinois State, a span of 33 games, that she had not attempted a charity toss.
? Martin has been perfect at the line in seven games (Green Bay, Sacramento State, Western Michigan, Montana State, Western Illinois, Iowa State and at Southern Illinois) this season. She has made 62 of her last 73 free throws.
? The Bulldogs are shooting 44.3 percent from the field at home versus a .403 shooting mark on the road.
? Making the most of clutch free throws this season has been Martin and Whorton. In the final five minutes of games this season, the duo is shooting 87.5 and 76.2 percent, respectively. Martin has connected on 21 of her 24 attempts, while Whorton is 16-for-21 at the charity stripe. From the field, they have struggled, shooting a combined 14-of-48 from the floor (29.2 percent).
? Whorton has collected 44 rebounds at home this year, all but 13 on the defensive glass. Conversely, Martin has pulled down 70 caroms, of which 58 have come on the defensive end.
? Opponents shoot just 63.8 percent at the free throw line in the final five minutes against the Bulldogs this season.
? Drake is registering 12.4 turnovers per contest at home and forcing opponents into an average of 18.3 a game.
? Three of Drake's current starters (Martin, Plummer and Dybing) are connecting on at least 40 percent of their attempts at home, while Dybing and Plummer have done so on the road.
? The Bulldogs average 36.7 rebounds at home, while registering 35.4 in their seven road contests.
? Whorton is the Bulldogs' leading scorer at home, averaging 15.5 points, with Martin just behind her at 15.4.
? Drake has six players (Whorton, Martin, Brady, Dahir, Keizer and Agee) with positive assist/turnover ratios at home, while Herrick has matching assists to turnovers. On the road, Whorton and Agee have more assists than turnovers.
? In the final five minutes of its 18 games, Drake is shooting 40.6 percent from the floor with Martin netting 2.0 points per game.
? The quartet of Martin, Whorton, Plummer and sophomore Kaniesha Agee (Kansas City, Mo./Pembroke Hill) have combined for 82 assists in 10 home games this season.
? Martin is 39-for-50 at the charity stripe at home this year.
? Brady has hit 52.2 percent of her shots at home this season.
? The active career leader in blocked shots for the Bulldogs is Dybing with 47. This season, 11 of her team-leading 17 rejections have come at home.
? Drake has outscored the opposition in the first half of its home games, 335-274. In the second stanza, the numbers still favor the Bulldogs, 396-317.
? In its six true road games, Drake has bettered the opposition, 181-153, in the first 20 minutes of these contests, while winning the battle in the second half, 194-185.
? Turk is connecting on a team-best 55.2 percent of her shots in the first half.
? Martin is shooting 35 percent (14-of-40) beyond the arc in the first half of games this year, while hitting 38.9 percent (7-for-18) in the final stanza.
? The Bulldogs are connecting on 45.6 percent of their shots in the second half, versus a 39.6 percent shooting mark in the initial 20 minutes.
? Drake has made 51 of its 95 triples this year in the final period.
? Seventy-nine of the Bulldogs' 141 steals have come in the first half.
? Agee has distributed 20 assists versus only eight turnovers in the final 20 minutes of games this season.
? Ten of Whorton's 20 steals have come in the second half, while Martin has collected 16 of her 30 assists in the final period.
? The Bulldogs are averaging 6.6 turnovers in the last 20 minutes, while forcing the opposition into 8.1. In the first stanza, Drake has registered 7.2 turnovers and forced 9.6.
? The Bulldogs are outrebounding the opposition on the offensive glass in the first half, 116-109, while being bettered on defensive rebounds, 221-207.
? Drake's starters are registering 52.9 points and 23.1 rebounds per game through 18 contests, while the bench has responded with 16.7 points and 13.1 rebounds.

NATIONALLY SPEAKING
? Jill Martin is ranked 44th and 88th nationally in free throw percentage (.838) and scoring (16.6), while Whorton stands 48th in three-pointers per game (2.4).
? As a team, Drake is rated seventh, 31st and 46th in the NCAA in turnovers per game (13.7), assist/turnover ratio (0.97) and scoring margin (+10.2), respectively.

COUNTDOWN TO GAME NO. 1,000
Drake enters its game versus Illinois State having played 989 contests in school history. The Bulldogs' showdown at Wichita State on March 8 will represent the 1,000th game in school history with the Drake having registered a 634-355 (.641) mark.

CRUISING TOWARDS 200
The Bulldogs are quickly approaching playing in their 200th game in the Knapp Center. Drake will roll its home odometer to 200 when the squad entertains Southern Illinois on Feb. 16.

HOOPS 4 HOPE
The Bulldogs will take part in Hoops 4 Hope when the team entertains Southern Illinois on Feb. 16. Drake will don pink uniforms for the game with the Salukis, an event to generate cancer awareness as part of the Women's Basketball Coaches' Association “Think Pink” initiative. The first 4,500 fans entering the Knapp Center will receive a free pink Hoops 4 Hope t-shirt, while replica jerseys will be available in a silent auction.

FAST BREAK LUNCHEONS
Drake will once again provide a unique glimpse into Bulldog women's basketball with the monthly Fast Break Luncheons. The event will be held at Christopher's in Beaverdale from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Feb. 11.

UP NEXT
The Bulldogs conclude the first half of their conference schedule with a Groundhog's Day visit to Indiana State. Game time is slated for 1:00 p.m. on Saturday (Feb. 2).