SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The Drake University women's basketball team defeated South Dakota, 89-81, in overtime on Thursday, Nov. 21 at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls. The Bulldogs let a late lead slip away in regulation, as the Coyotes forced overtime and at one point led by three in the overtime, before Drake rallied for its first overtime victory since winning at Evansville, 69-62, on Jan. 9, 2011.
Drake (2-2) had five players in double figures paced by Kyndal Clark's (Webb City, Mo.) 26 points, which tied her career-best. Sophomore Emma Donahue (Naperville, Ill.) added a career-high 13 points, while freshman Caitlin Ingle (Runnells, Iowa) had a career-high 12 points. Sophomore Ashley Bartow (Sun Prairie, Wis.) scored 12 points as well to help Drake's bench outscore South Dakota's, 39-31. Freshman Lizzy Wendell (Blue Springs, Mo.) scored 11 points before fouling out at the start of overtime.
The Bulldogs led 73-69 after Clark knocked down one of two from the free throw line with 1:33 to go in the game, but South Dakota (1-4) rallied with four points to force overtime. Clark missed two free throws and Ingle had a layup roll out in the final moments of regulation. However, Clark scored 10 points, including eight free throws and Ingle added four points in the overtime to help Drake snap a two-game losing streak to South Dakota. The Bulldogs had 16 points in overtime to just eight points for the Coyotes.
“What I told the team that I was most proud of was how we had different adversity tonight that we all overcame,” said Drake head coach Jennie Baranczyk. “Whether it was Kyndal and missed free throws, Lizzy with her foul trouble, Caitlin missing those layups. But we got to see them bounce right back. Kyndal stepped up and knocked down free throws in the overtime and Caitlin made a couple of tough layups. That's the type of growth that I'm so proud of.”
The Bulldogs stormed back from a 34-30 deficit to take a 40-39 lead at halftime. Clark scored a team-high nine points in the half, while three other Bulldogs in senior Morgan Reid (Kansas City, Mo.), Donahue and Ingle each added six points. Drake outrebounded South Dakota, 26-17, and overcame 10 first-half turnovers.
“Emma was the difference tonight,” Baranczyk said. “You look down the box score at everyone's minutes and the reason we were so fresh in overtime was Emma stepping up and giving us some great minutes. She scored, she defended and really brought her “A” game tonight.”
South Dakota raced out to a 7-0 lead as Drake quickly called its first timeout of the evening. The Bulldogs overcame the slow start to cut their deficit to 17-14 after a three-pointer by Liza Heap (Highlands Ranch, Colo.).
Along with equaling her career-high in points, Clark filled up the stat sheet adding eight rebounds, four assists and four steals. She made a career-high 12 free throws on a career-best 18 trips to the charity stripe. Reid pulled down a team-leading 10 rebounds as Drake outrebounded South Dakota, 51-41, in the first-ever women's college basketball game played at the Sanford Pentagon.
Every Bulldog except for injured senior Mary Pat Specht (Shawnee, Kan.) played on Thursday night as Drake shot a season-best 46.3 percent (31-for-67) from the floor on its way to its season-high in points scored.
Drake will host its first-ever “Pay It Forward” presented by the West Des Moines Sheraton game Sunday, Nov. 24 when in-state rival No. 18 Iowa State visits the Knapp Center. Fans who bring three canned food items to the game will receive free admission to the team's Dec. 5 game against Idaho State.
Earlier this year, the Bulldogs women's basketball program set a goal to perform 1,000 hours of community service in honor of the late Kum & Go co-founder William Krause and his work in the Des Moines community. Part of this goal led to the program hosting a Pay It Forward game to challenge the Des Moines community to get involved with service work. The game will showcase what Mr. Krause meant to the women's basketball program and to the Des Moines community.
To purchase tickets click here or call the Drake Ticket Office at 515-271-(DOGS) 3647. Tip-off is set for 2:07 p.m. and will be shown on MC Mediacom 22.
