Stephens Earns 300th Victory As Drake Advances To Semifinals Of MVC Women's Basketball Tournament

ST. CHARLES, MO. -- Jordann Plummer's (St. Louis, Mo./Cardinal Ritter) homecoming got off to a slow start, but the junior guard exploded for a game-high 21 points -- all in the second half -- to rally No. 3 seeded Drake to a 68-57 victory past No. 6 seeded Northern Iowa in the quarterfinal round of the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Women's Basketball Tournament Friday night.

Amy Stephens earned her 300th coaching victory in 14 years, including the last six seasons at Drake.

The Bulldogs, who improved to 19-11, (12-6 MVC), will play No. 2 seeded Creighton in the semifinal round at 7:30 p.m. Saturday with the game televised on Fox Sports Midwest. Creighton escaped with a 49-41 quarterfinal round victory past Wichita State.

It marks the third straight year Drake has advanced to the semifinal round of the State Farm MVC Tournament.

"It's terrific to advance," said Stephens. "That, in itself, is the most significant thing. I was really proud of our team in the second half. We made some great adjustments. This team has come into the tournament with the right mentality."

Plummer, who attended Cardinal Ritter High School in nearby St. Louis, missed her first 10 shots of the game, before making her first basket with 14:43 left in the contest.

That ignited Plummer who would score 10 straight points in a two-minute one second span.

Plummer later keyed a 10-0 run by Drake, scoring six points as the Bulldogs turned a 49-47 deficit into a 57-49 advantage that they never relinquished.

Freshman Amber Wollschlager (Milbank, S.D./Milbank) tied a career-high with 18 points, hitting four three-point baskets for Drake, while sophomore Kristin Turk (Des Moines, Iowa/Lincoln) came off the bench to score 12 points.

"Amber kept us in the game in the first half," added Stephens. "And Jordann ...wow...she picked us up in the second half and wouldn't let us go home. She caught fire and had a gritty performance. That shows how far she has come. She got in a rhythm and got her stroke going."

Junior forward Monique' Jones (Lee's Summit, Mo./Lee's Summit North) grabbed a team-high eight rebounds as the Bulldogs outrebounded the Panthers, 37-27.

There were seven ties and 15 lead changes in the game.

The Bulldogs struggled in the first half, shooting just 30.8 percent from the floor. But Drake got its shooting touch in the second half, making 15 of 29 shots for 51.7 percent in the second half.

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