TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – The Drake women's basketball team earned its second consecutive come-from-behind win as the Bulldogs defeated Indiana State, 72-65, Friday (Jan. 23) night at the Hulman Center.
Indiana State (13-5, 3-4 Missouri Valley Conference) led 26-22 at halftime, but Drake roared out of the break with a 9-0 scoring run to grab control of the game. The Bulldogs never trailed again as they improved to 11-6 and 6-0 in the MVC with their sixth-straight victory.
Sophomore Lizzy Wendell (Blue Springs, Mo.) led all scorers with 30 points on 9-of-15 shooting, including making 10-of-11 from the free throw line. Wendell, who has now scored in double figures in every game this season and 31 straight games dating back to last season, added a career-high six steals in a season-high 36 minutes.
Freshmen Maddy Dean (Jordan, Minn.) and Becca Jonas (Independence, Mo.) each bounced back from being held scoreless in the first half to finish with 14 and 12 points, respectively. Dean at one point scored 11 of the team's 13 points to hold off a late Sycamores' rally attempt.
Drake shot a blistering 62.5 percent (15-of-24) from the floor in the second half after going just 8-of-23 (34.8 percent) in the opening half and ended the game at 48.9 percent (23-of-47). The Bulldogs made 18-of-21 (85.7 percent) from the free throw line, including 16-of-18 (88.9 percent) in the second half, and converted 8-of-8 to close the game to hold the Sycamores.
“It was huge for us to shot from the free throw line tonight like we did especially the end of the game,” said head coach Jennie Baranczyk. “We played our game at the start of the second half. I'm proud of how scrappy our team was and the fight they showed. We did some great things defensively and now we just need to limit the chances on the offensive glass.”
Dean and Jonas helped Drake outrebound Indiana State, 37-36, on the glass as they pulled down nine and eight boards, respectively. The Sycamores pulled down 17 offensive rebounds and limited the Bulldogs to just seven.
Drake overcame a slow start to the game making just one of its first seven shots and committing four turnovers before redshirt senior Carly Grenfell (York, Neb.) drained a three-pointer to break a 2:32 scoreless drought and stop a 8-0 Indiana State scoring run. On the next two possessions Wendell made three-pointers to pull even at 12-all at the under-12 timeout.
Freshman Paige Greiner (Williamsburg, Iowa) knocked down a big three-pointer with 13 seconds left in the first half to pull Drake to within four points, 26-22, of Indiana State at halftime. Wendell led all scorers with 12 first half points. Turnovers plagued the Bulldogs in the opening half as they committed 13 after only committing 12 in each of its previous two games. They ended the game with a season-high 21.
“Indiana State is a great, physical team who is the best defensive team we have seen all year,” commented Baranczyk. “They rattled us tonight with 13 turnovers in the first half, which is what we average for a game. They do a nice job.”
Sophomore Caitlin Ingle (Runnells, Iowa) had nine assists, eight points and five rebounds in a season-high 39 minutes for the Bulldogs.
Drake closes its season-long three-game road trip with a matinee game at Evansville on Sunday (Jan. 25) at 1 p.m.
