SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - The Drake University women's basketball team dropped an exciting 92-82 matchup Saturday (Feb. 25) at Missouri State in the highest-scoring Missouri Valley Conference game of the 2010-11 season. The Bulldogs fell to 8-8 in the Valley and remain in fifth place.

The teams scored a combined 174 points, besting the previous high of 152 by Bradley and Illinois State on New Year's Eve.

Junior Rachael Hackbarth (Colgate, Wis.) turned in one of her best performances in Blue and White, leading all scorers with 27 points and pulling down a game-high 11 rebounds to pace Drake. The junior went 10-of-17 from the floor and 7-of-8 from the free throw line. Senior Kristin Turk (Des Moines, Iowa) scored 23 points while adding five rebounds and three steals.

"She kept us in it early," said head coach Amy Stephens of Hackbarth. "Her effort was great. She gave a tremendous performance."

The Lady Bears scored 11-straight points, including back-to-back threes by Jaleshia Roberson, to pad their lead from four points with 15 minutes remaining to a game-high 15 at the 12:28 mark of the second half.

A pair of threes from junior Amber Wollschlager (Milbank, S.D.) and sophomore Kayla Person (St. Louis, Mo.), along with solid line work from Hackbarth chipped the Lady Bear lead to single digits by the nine-minute mark.

Drake kept chipping at the lead, moving it to just five points on two occasions. Missouri State rebounded each time and eventually finished the contest leading by 10, 92-82.

"We hung around," said Stephens. "We showed great composure. I like the fight of this team. They didn't go away."

Junior Casey Garrison turned in 25 points and six assists to pace the Lady Bears. Roberson joined her with 25 points, finishing 5-of-9 from beyond the arc and a perfect 6-of-6 from the line.

The teams opened the game with a fast-paced, high-scoring first half and entered the locker room with Missouri State leading, 42-40. Hackbarth led everyone with 17 first-half points and scored Drake's first eight points of the contest.

Drake meets Wichita State at Charles Koch Arena Sunday at 2:05 p.m. The Shockers are 7-8 and tied for sixth in the MVC after downing Creighton Friday.