DES MOINES, Iowa – The 2015-16 Drake University women's basketball team is set to host Grand View University Tuesday at 7 p.m. at the Knapp Center in the first of two exhibition games for the Bulldogs to help prepare for the regular season. The game against the crosstown Vikings will be broadcast live on 1350 ESPN.
Drake will host its final exhibition contest against Simpson College on Nov. 8 at 2 p.m. before opening the regular season with an in-state matchup with the Iowa State Cyclones on Nov. 15 at 2 p.m. in the Knapp Center.
The exhibition games will allow Bulldog fans the first opportunity to see new rules implemented in women's college basketball to help increase the flow of the game. The biggest being a change to four 10-minute quarters instead of two 20-minute periods.
Another modification is how free throws will be awarded. Teams will now reach the bonus and shoot two free throws on the fifth team foul in each quarter. Previously, teams reached a one-and-one bonus on the seventh team foul of each half and reached the double bonus (two shots) on the 10th team foul. In the four-quarter format, team fouls reset to zero at the start of each quarter. However, if a team reaches the bonus in the fourth quarter, that team would remain in the bonus during any additional overtime periods.
Drake head coach Jennie Baranczyk enters her fourth season with seven returning players plus four freshmen for the 2015-16 season with her team picked to finish second in the Missouri Valley Conference. Year three under Baranczyk was full of highlights as Drake won 20 games in 2014-15, hitting the 20-win mark for the first time since 2007-08. The Bulldogs won 15 Missouri Valley Conference games, which was the most conference victories since the 2001-02 campaign. Drake ripped off nine- straight league wins to start the MVC slate and fell one win short of matching the best Valley start in program history.
Junior forward Lizzy Wendell, who was tabbed as the MVC Preseason Player of the Year, is coming off a historic sophomore campaign in which she led the conference in scoring at 21.8 points per game, reached 1,000 career points and was selected to the All-MVC First Team for the second straight year. Wendell also ranked in the MVC's top-10 in assists (2.7 apg, 9th), steals (2.0 spg, 6th), field goal percentage (.463, 9th), free throw percentage (.755, 9th) and three-point field goals (72, 3rd). Wendell has 1,212 career points, which is equal with Jennie Fitzgerald (1986-1990) for 23^rd all-time.
Junior point guard Caitlin Ingle led the MVC and finished ninth in the nation in assists per game at 6.8 in her sophomore season. Ingle notched the MVC's first triple-double since 2009 and twice handed out a career-high 15 assists in a game. The 15 assists tied the third-best single-game mark in school history. Ingle averaged 11.5 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. Ingle owns 305 career assists as she eyes a move into the Drake top-10. Deha Payton (1992-96) currently ranks 10th with 362.
Sophomore guard Maddy Dean was named the MVC Freshman of the Year and joined Ingle and Wendell on the MVC First Team. Dean scored 13.6 points per game, pulled down 6.9 rebounds and made 67 three-pointers.
Drake was dealt a tough break this offseason as sophomore forward/center Becca Jonas underwent season-ending knee surgery in August. In her first season, Jonas averaged 12.5 points per game and led the Bulldogs in rebounding at 9.1 per game on her way to earning MVC honorable mention honors and MVC All-Freshman team honors.
A pair of guards, sophomore Paige Greiner and junior Cortni Rush, and senior center Emma Donahue also return to the court for the Bulldogs. Greiner (3.8 points per game, 31 three-pointers), Rush (3.0 ppg, 2.9 rebounds per game) and Donahue (1.4 ppg, 1.0 rpg) will be expected to play a more significant role for Drake in 2015-16.
The returners will help mentor Drake's four talented freshmen in guards Sammie Bachrodt and Nicole Miller along with forwards Madelyne Johnson and Sara Rhine. All four are expected to contribute in their first seasons as Bulldogs. Bachrodt from Wichita, Kan. was a four-time all-state selection for Kapaun Mt. Carmel. The Iowa sportswriters named Miller, who played for North Linn, the 2015 Miss Iowa Basketball as a senior. Johnson from Sycamore, Ill. averaged 13.8 points and 8.0 rebounds per game as a senior and received honorable mention all-state honors. Rhine from Eldon, Mo. scored 32.0 points and grabbed 10.0 rebounds per game as a senior and earned all-state accolades.
Baranczyk has two new members on her coaching staff in 2015-16. Former UNI star and Iowa native Jacqui Kalin is set to begin her first season as an assistant coach while former Notre Dame and Des Moines East standout Markisha Wright is a graduate team manager. Associate head coach Allison Pohlman also returns while Dominique Kelley has transitioned to an assistant coach position.
Grand View is 2-0 already this season as the Vikings claimed wins over Waldorf College and Dakota State in their home tournament, Oct. 30-31. Grand View head coach Garey Smith is in his 16^th season.
To buy tickets for this season call 515-271-DOGS (3647).