OMAHA, Neb. - The
Drake University women's basketball team dropped a 58-51 Missouri Valley
Conference decision to Creighton, Friday (Dec. 31) in the conference opener for
both teams.
Creighton (7-5, 1-0 MVC) led by three, 52-49, after a Kristin Turk (Des Moines, Iowa) three
halved the lead and triggered the game's final media timeout at the 2:21 mark.
The Bluejays ended the game on a 6-2 run behind four free throws and a Kelsey Woodard layup.
"It was a physical basketball game and a game of runs,"
said head coach Amy Stephens, whose team fell to 6-6 overall and 0-1 in the
Valley.
Turk was held scoreless throughout the first half before
banking in a 45-foot buzzer beater to give Drake its first lead, 23-22, at
half. The senior opened the second half with a three-pointer to power Drake
through a 7-2 run to start the half and give the Bulldogs their largest lead of
the game at 30-24. The Bulldogs followed a 6-for-22 start from the floor with a
7-of-14 (.500) effort to sharpen their advantage.
"We did a great job
executing in the last two minutes of the half," Stephens said.
Turk and Rachael Hackbarth
(Colgate, Wis.) led Drake with 11 points each. Hackbarth, who didn't score in
the second half until the 5:48 mark after leading all scorers with nine points
at halftime, tallied nine rebounds. Her lone second-half basket stopped a 7-0
Creighton run and brought Drake within six, 48-42. Freshmen Morgan Reid (North Kansas City, Mo.)
and Angela Christianson (Alexandria,
Minn.) totaled 10 points each. Reid pulled down seven boards.
"I thought Morgan Reid was a bright spot," Stephens
added. "She had a terrific game, maybe one of her best games of the year."
Drake held its own in the second half despite a 15-8
deficit in the fouls column and a 21-12 overall difference in fouls. Creighton
went 17-of-23 from the line, including 15-20 in the second half, compared to
Drake's 7-of-7 effort from the stripe.
"We didn't get to the line," Stephens said. "We've got to
be a lot more aggressive with the basketball and go at people."
The Bulldogs continue their MVC schedule at Southern
Illinois next Friday (Jan. 6). Tip is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.
