DES MOINES, IOWA -- Junior
guard Jordann Plummer (St. Louis, Mo./Cardinal Ritter) scored a team-high 17
points, including 13 in the second half, as the Drake women's basketball team
earned its third straight Missouri Valley Conference victory with a 57-46
decision past Southern Illinois Thursday night at the Drake Knapp Center.
Drake opened the game, making 10 of its
first 14 shots to race to a 21-7 lead following a three-point play by freshman
Rachael Hackbarth (Colgate, Wis./Wisconsin Lutheran).
But the Salukis responded by scoring
11 straight points to pull within 21-18.
Drake shot 50 percent from the
floor, including 57.9 percent in the first half to enjoy a 24-20 lead.
Drake coach Amy Stephens was
disappointed with the team committing 22 turnovers in which Southern Illinois
was able to convert into 21 points.
"It was an ugly game,"
said Stephens. "We had too many turnovers. We got careless with the ball
in the first half. I loved the way we started the game and opened the
second half. But we got sloppy the last 10 minutes of each half.
"You have to give Southern
Illinois credit because they picked up the defensive intensity.
Junior Monique' Jones (Lee's Summit,
Mo./Lee's Summit North) enjoyed her third straight double-double with 10 points
and a game-high 11 rebounds.
"That is amazing," said
Stephens, who won her 99th game at Drake. "Monique' plays with
a lot of passion and determination. She is a tough player to scout because of
the way she scores. She has a nose for the basketball."
"The whole team feeds off her
energy," added Plummer.
Plummer, who scored in double
figures for the ninth consecutive game, added seven rebounds and six assists
for the Bulldogs who improved to 15-8 overall, including a 9-3 league record.
The Bulldogs outrebounded Southern
Illinois, 39-27.
