CHICAGO – The Drake University women's basketball team grinded out a 70-64 win at Loyola on Sunday afternoon. The game featured nine score ties and 14 lead changes as Drake improved its overall record to 14-12 and 8-7 in the Missouri Valley Conference. The Bulldogs end the regular season with five-straight league conference wins and will close the year with three contests at the Knapp Center.
Junior Kyndal Clark (Webb City, Mo.) led four Bulldogs in double-figures with 16 points along with eight rebounds and six assists. Clark made history with her first of three three-pointers today as it was her 91st this year. She is the new single-season record holder for three's in a season, surpassing Kiersten Miller, who made 90 during the 1996-97 campaign.
Freshman Lizzy Wendell (Blue Springs, Mo.) had 15 points, nine boards and knocked down 8-of-11 from the free throw line, including four in the final 40 seconds to hold off Loyola (9-17, 5-9 MVC). Sophomore Ashley Bartow (Sun Prairie, Wis.) broke out with13 points and seven rebounds. Redshirt junior Carly Grenfell (York, Neb.) scored 11 points off the bench.
Senior Troy Hambric paced the Ramblers with a game-high 23 points and added eight rebounds. Bailey Farley finished with 14 points, but was held to just two in the second half. Cate Soane was other Rambler in double-digits with 12 points.
The scoreboard saw six score ties and nine lead changes in a tightly contest second half. Hambric finished a traditional three-point play to put Loyola up 44-43 with 10:20 left in the game. However, it would be the Ramblers' final lead of the contest as Drake consistently fought off their rally attempts. After Hambric's two free throws cut the Bulldogs' lead to 60-59 at the 2:29 mark, Clark drilled a three and freshman Caitlin Ingle (Runnells, Iowa) hit a jumper to push the margin to 65-59 with just 1:20 to go.
Loyola, who joined the MVC in July, 2013, mounted a final charge as Katie Faught's three made it 66-64 with 32 seconds on the clock. However, Drake went 4-of-5 from the line the rest of the way to pull out its first victory at Loyola since Jan. 2, 1994.
“One of the things we can learn today is we found a way to win a game,” said Drake head coach Jennie Baranczyk. “That's a hard thing when you are on the road in this conference and in late February. Finding a way and having a gut check. When it came down to needing stops and needing scores we got it done.”
In the opening half, Wendell evened the score at 17-all immediately as her steal, layup and free throw completed a traditional three-point play. Alyssa Marschner's (Plymouth, Minn.) layup off a nice assist from Liza Heap (Highlands Ranch, Colo.) put the Bulldogs ahead, 19-17.
Back-to-back three-pointers from Farley, who led all scorers in the opening half with 12 points on four three balls, helped Loyola stake a 27-26 halftime lead. Clark and Wendell paced Drake with six points each, while Grenfell provided a spark with five points.
The Bulldogs opened Valley play with just one win in their seven games, but have pulled over .500 with a stellar 7-1 mark in their last eight contests. Drake's only loss during that span was to league-leader Wichita State.
Drake and Loyola each tallied 38 rebounds, but Drake's 12 offensive boards led to a 14-5 advantage on second chance points. The Bulldogs went 40 percent (24-of-60) from the field.
“For Ashley (Bartow) today to come up with four offensive rebounds was huge for us today,” Baranczyk said. “We didn't shoot the ball well today and her rebounding was big in helping us have 14 second chance points. What I liked a lot was she didn't hesitate. She played within the offense and when we needed a basket, she made some great baskets.”
Prior to Drake's next home game against UNI on March 2, a youth clinic for eighth graders and younger in recognition of National Girls & Women in Sports Day, will take place in the Bell Center at 12:15 p.m. Click on this link for more information and to register for the event. Tipoff is slated for 2:07 p.m. in the Knapp Center and will be broadcast on Mediacom MC22.
