DES MOINES, Iowa – Behind another outstanding performance by freshman Maddy Dean (Jordan, Minn.), the Drake University women's basketball team remained unbeaten in Missouri Valley Conference play with an 86-51 route of the visiting Illinois State Redbirds on Friday night at the Knapp Center.
Dean, who has started the last three games, poured in 19 points on the Redbirds to lead the Bulldogs. She also tallied 11 rebounds for her third career double-double.
“(Maddy) has really started to turn it on and understand what it is her team needs her to do,” said Drake head coach Jennie Baranczyk. “She is able to score inside and she is able to score outside. I think she is really maturing.”
Drake (8-6, 3-0 MVC) had four other players record double figures Friday night, as Becca Jonas (Independence, Mo.), Lizzy Wendell (Blue Springs, Mo.), Carly Grenfell (York, Neb.) and Caitlin Ingle (Runnels, Iowa) scored 17,16, 10 and 10 points, respectively.
Wendell, the conference's leading scorer, has eclipsed the double-digit scoring threshold in 28 consecutive games, and coming off the bench Grenfell has done so in four of the last five contests.
As a team, Drake has scored at least 71 points for their seventh-straight game, and the Bulldogs continue to show why they lead The Valley in points per game (77.5) going into tonight.
“To be able to have 26 assists on 36 field goals is exactly how we want to play,” Baranczyk said. “The other thing that I really liked is our rebounding. Those are things we can continue to build upon.”
Octavia Crump paced Illinois State (0-13, 0-2 MVC), finishing with 12 points and five rebounds. The Redbirds shot just 25.8 percent from the field and were held below their season scoring average of 52.8 coming in to the game against the Bulldogs. Drake dominated the Redbirds on the glass Friday night with a decisive 47-31 advantage.
Drake used a 10-2 run over the final 3:43 of the first half to seize control en route to a 41-23 halftime lead. The Bulldogs had a huge advantage in the paint during the first 20 minutes, outscoring the Redbirds, 28-6, and ended the contest with a 52-12 advantage in that statistic.
With Friday's win, Drake evened the head-to-head series record with Illinois State, which now sits at 35-35 all-time.
The Bulldogs close the weekend with a matchup against an improved Southern Illinois team on Sunday afternoon. It is also Drake's annual alumni game following the conclusion of the Bulldogs' contest against SIU, and that has Baranczyk excited.
“On Sunday, its not about anything other than the 40 years that we've been able to celebrate Drake women's basketball,” Baranczyk said. “We really understand that there's a tradition here, there's a legacy here, and we're just so excited to be a part of it.”
Tip-off between Drake and SIU is scheduled for 2:05 p.m.
