THE SETTING
The Bulldogs enter the 2010 State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament as the No. 7 seed, the first time Drake has finished seventh in the MVC standings. The Bulldogs meet Evansville at 8:30 p.m., Thursday at the Family Arena in St. Charles, Mo.


ABOUT DRAKE
The Bulldogs stumbled a bit down the stretch, going 3-6 during the back nine (more below), but regrouped to earn a 77-58 victory over Indiana State on March 4.
    Junior Kristin Turk ended the regular season hot, averaging 18.3 points during the last four games. Turk has scored in double figures in eight straight games, and nine of the last 10, including a career-high 28 points against Indiana State.
    Sophomore Rachael Hackbarth was a bright spot against Illinois State March 6, scoring 21 points and pulling down six boards. Senior Monique' Jones scored 13 against the Redbirds and closed OUT the season with three straight double-figure scoring games.

ACE IN THE HOLE
Drake has met Evansville just twice in State Farm MVC Tournament history, securing wins on both occasions (61-58, March 10, 2007; 46-41, March 15, 2008). Drake made it to the championship round in both tournaments in which it faced Evansville.

FIRST DAY CONFIDENCE
This year marks just the second time Drake has played in the opening round play-in games as a seven seed or lower. The last time Drake played a Thursday tilt in the MVC Tournament, the Bulldogs topped Wichita State 78-63 on March 8, 2007 en route to winning four games in four days and winning the 2007 tournament championship at the Knapp Center.

DRAKE VS EVANSVILLE
Drake is 25-10 all-time against the Purple Aces, but is 7-8 under coach Amy Stephens. Drake has beaten Evansville in both neutral court contests of the series (64-59, March 9, 2001 and 46-41, March 15, 2008). Drake won the first 11 games of the series, and 17 of the first 18 games between 1995-2003. The Bulldogs are on a five-game winning streak against the Purple Aces with the last loss a 69-66 overtime loss in the Knapp Center, Feb. 14, 2008.

TOURNAMENT QUICK HITS
• Drake has never been the No. 7 seed in the MVC Tournament.
• Drake is 19-5 all-time in MVC Tournament neutral court contests, including 3-2 in St. Charles, Mo.
• The Bulldogs are 29-16 all-time in tournament games, including 10-5 under Amy Stephens.
• Of Drake's four quarterfinal round losses, two are to Missouri State (2003, 2006) and two are to Creighton (1996, 1999).
• The Drake offense has averaged 63.3 points per tournament contest under Amy Stephens.
• The Drake defense has allowed an average of 59.9 points per tournament contest under Amy Stephens.
• Drake has not lost an MVC Tournament opener since falling 78-62 to Missouri State on March 10, 2006 in Springfield, Mo.

.500
This season marks just the third time Drake has finished with a .500 record in the 36 season history of women's basketball at the school. The last time Drake finished the regular season with a .500 record was the 2003-04 season - coach Amy Stephens' first year - in which the Bulldogs went 14-14. Additionally, Drake finished its inaugural season (1974-75) with a 10-10 mark.

THE BACK NINE, WRAPPED
Drake finished the first half of the conference season with a 4-5 record and wrapped up the back nine with a 3-6 record. This marked the first time the Bulldogs did not equal or improve on their first half conference record since 2001. Previously, the Bulldogs had equaled or bettered their first half conference record during the “back nine” in nine straight campaigns.

SENIOR SALUTE
Seniors Jordann Plummer and Monique' Jones were honored in a pregame ceremony before the Illinois State game, March 6. The pair has played in a combined 248 career games. Plummer, who ranks 16th on the all-time Drake scoring list with 1317 career points, is the MVC's active leader in career assists with 390. Jones is one of the conference's premier defenders and has been named Drake's best defensive player three years running.

THE THREE GOES
Drake has prided itself on three-point shooting accuracy this season and has led the conference in three-point shooting percentage for most of the season. The Bulldogs currently are shooting at a .378 clip from beyond the arch - the second-best mark in the Valley - but that mark drops to .175 during the last five minutes of play.

MARCHING
The Bulldogs are 33-11 all-time in regular season March contests, dating back an 88-64 victory over Western Illinois during the first such game on March 2, 1984. Drake has compiled a 10-4 regular season March record under coach Amy Stephens and is 16-6 during the month since 2000. The Bulldogs have turned in a sub-.500 regular season March record just three times in 25 years (1987, 1994, 2007).

CAREER THIEF
With a first half steal against Evansville, senior guard Jordann Plummer moved into fifth place on the all-time Drake steals list with 221. Since then, Plummer has upped her career total to 226.

ALL-TIME STEAL LEADERS
PLAYER                           YRS        STEALS
1. Kay Riek                       1980-84    274
2. Linda Sayavongchanh     2002-06    266
3. Jenni Fitzgerald              1986-90    250
4. Keisha Cox                    1994-98    234
5. Jordann Plummer           2005-10    226

2009 TOURNAMENT RECAPS

Drake 68, UNI 57 - March 13, 2009
ST. CHARLES, MO. -- Jordann Plummer's homecoming got off to a slow start, but the 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.
    Amy Stephens earned her 300th coaching victory in 14 years, including the last six seasons at Drake.
    It marks the third straight year Drake has advanced to the semifinal round of the State Farm MVC Tournament.
    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.
    Then-freshman Amber Wollschlager tied a then-career-high with 18 points, hitting four three-point baskets for Drake, while Kristin Turk came off the bench to score 12 points.

Creighton 53, Drake 35 - March 14, 2009
ST.CHARLES, MO -- The Drake women's basketball team shot a season low 26 percent from the floor and No. 2 seeded Creighton took advantage, eliminating the Bulldogs, 53-35, in the semifinal round of the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament.
    Drake's 35 points was a MVC tournament record for fewest points in a game.
    Owning a 36-33 lead, the Bluejays went on a 17-2 scoring flurry to close out the game as Drake made just one of five shots down the stretch while committing five turnovers.
    Creighton will face No. 9 seeded Evansville in the State Farm MVC Tournament championship at 3 p.m. Sunday.
    Senior forward Lauren Dybing led Drake with 10 points and seven rebounds.
    Guard Jordann Plummer, who had scored a then-career-high 27 points against  Creighton Jan. 31, totaled six points making three of 12 shots.
    After a three-point basket by Dybing gave Drake a 5-3 lead with 17:28 left in the first half, the Bulldogs would go the next eight minutes seven seconds without making a basket. That dry spell allowed Creighton to grab a 16-6 advantage before freshman Rachael Hackbarth hit a jumper with 9:19 remaining in the first half.

2010 EVANSVILLE RECAPS

Drake 67, Evansville 53, Jan. 16, 2010
EVANSVILLE, IND. – Career days from freshmen Stephanie Running and Katie Schechinger helped Drake hang with Evansville, but a four-minute second half scoring barrage by senior Jordann Plummer propelled the Bulldogs to a 67-53 victory.
    Plummer, held without a basket in the game's first 34 minutes, fueled a 14-2 Drake run with nine straight points. The senior finished the game with 12 points, including 11 in the second half. Drake outscored Evansville, 17-8, during the game's final six minutes.
    Running set a career high with seven points in a personal-best 24 minutes of playing time. Schechinger tallied eight points in 17 minutes, both also career bests.
    Jones sparked the team early with nine points in the first 13 minutes, leading the Bulldogs to a slim 22-18 lead at the seven minute mark of the first half. Jones and Amber Wollschlager led the charge in the first half, scoring 21 of Drake's 34 points. Wollschlager scored a game-high 18 points, one short of her career-best. Plummer was held to one point in the first half, her lowest point total in any half this season.

Drake 69, Evansville 48, Feb. 11, 2010
DES MOINES, IOWA – Drake used 14 steals and a late scoring flurry to down Evansville, 69-48. The Bulldogs outscored the Purple Aces 29-8 during the game's final 9:30.
    The Bulldogs capitalized on an 11-0 streak beginning at the eight minute mark. Five points from junior Kristin Turk sparked the run.
    Drake relied on a pressure defense to collect seven steals in a four-minute span midway through the first half to break the game open.
    Clinging to an 11-10 lead with 12:55 left, the Bulldogs scored 13 unanswered points to move to a 24-10 advantage. Eight of those points were scored off steals, including four points by senior guard Jordann Plummer.
    The Aces turned an 18-point, 37-19, Drake halftime advantage into an eight point, 48-40 lead by the 11-minute mark of the second half with a 14-5 run between 15:40 and 11:00. Drake responded with a 16-3 run over the next six minutes that culminated in an Amber Wollschlager jumper and a 64-43 lead.