AMES, Iowa – The Drake University women's basketball team outscored the Iowa State Cyclones, 46-39, in the second half on Tuesday night at Hilton Coliseum, but the rally attempt fell short as Iowa State held on for an 84-67 victory in front of 9,873 fans.
Sophomore Caitlin Ingle (Runnells, Iowa) equaled her career-high with 17 points to pace Drake (0-2) in scoring as three other Bulldogs finished with double-figure points. Fellow sophomore Lizzy Wendell (Blue Springs, Mo.) struggled with her shooting, but still scored 15 points behind a stellar 7-of-8 performance from the free throw line.
A pair of freshmen Maddy Dean (Jordan, Minn.) and Becca Jonas (Independence, Mo.) each had 13 points in their first road contests as Bulldogs. Dean and Jonas led Drake on the glass as they each grabbed seven rebounds. Jonas helped the Bulldogs outscore the Cyclones, 36-18, in the paint.
Drake found itself down 28 points early in the second half before mounting a large comeback attempt that saw it trim the deficit to just 11 points with 1:57 to play in the game after Wendell knocked down a short jumper. However, Iowa State (2-0) hit a three-pointer on its next possession to extend the lead to 79-65 as the Cyclones pulled away for the win.
“To play in a tough environment like this and play the second half like we did I couldn't be more proud of this team,” said head coach Jennie Baranczyk. “We started three sophomores, one freshman and one senior and played without our player of the year and 20-point scorer (Kyndal Clark), which it hurt. But I think we grew and I'm really excited for the rest of this season.”
“If we have could have played the way we did in the first half like we did in the second half that is why you come to a tough place to play like Hilton,” commented Baranczyk on her team's grittiness and toughness in the second half. “We can take that away and can continue to play with that scrappiness in front of that many fans is why you play these tough games.”
The Bulldogs played without senior standout Kyndal Clark (Webb City, Mo.) who is out as she undergoes an injury evaluation. Sophomore transfer Cortni Rush (Mason City, Iowa) earned her first career start in place of Clark as all 11 available players on the roster saw court time Tuesday night. Eight Bulldogs logged at least 11 minutes or more led by Wendell's 30 minutes. Rush posted solid numbers with four points, five rebounds, two steals and one assist in 29 minutes.
Ingle added four rebounds, three steals, two assists and one block in 31 minutes. Wendell was just 4-of-14 from the floor, but helped in other parts of the game with six boards, two assists, two blocks and one steal.
“Caitlin Ingle was the player of the game tonight for us,” Baranczyk said of her sophomore point guard. “Her presence on the floor was amazing and is absolutely what we are looking for in her. If she can continue to have games like this and run the show like she did we are going to be so much better.”
A slow start doomed the Bulldogs as they trailed 45-21 at halftime as the team finished 7-of-34 (20.6 percent) from the field and 2-of-18 (11.1 percent) from beyond the arc in the opening half.
Drake turned its luck around to open the second half as the Bulldogs outscored the Cyclones, 22-19, including an 11-0 scoring run that forced a Cyclones timeout with 9:28 on the clock.
The game started slowly for both teams as they each missed their first four shots of the game. A pair of Wendell free throws gave Drake the first lead, 2-0, nearly two minutes into the game. Iowa State used an 11-0 scoring run to grab a lead of 17-7 at the under-12 timeout.
Freshman Paige Greiner (Williamsburg, Iowa) nailed a deep three-pointer for her first career points before the under-four timeout to help spark the Bulldogs as they trailed 36-20. Those were the first career points for Greiner as ended with five points.
Drake continues its busy week as the Bulldogs travel to Southern Illinois Edwardsville Thursday, Nov. 20 with tip-off against the Cougars scheduled for 7 p.m. Drake returns to the Knapp Center Sunday, Nov. 23 for a contest against Wisconsin at 2:05 p.m.
