LAS VEGAS – Maddy Dean (Jordan, Minn.) scored a game-high 23 points and Lizzy Wendell (Blue Springs, Mo.) had 21 points as the Drake University women's basketball team edged the UNLV Lady Rebels by a score of 76-68 Sunday afternoon in the title game of the 2015 Lady Rebel Round-Up. Drake improved to 6-0 with the win and claimed its second straight Thanksgiving tournament title.

"We needed to lean on Maddy, Lizzy and Caitlin Ingle (Runnells, Iowa), and they hit some big shots tonight," said head coach Jennie Baranczyk. "I was really happy with 18 assists on 27 baskets. However, we turned the ball over a little too much, and it wasn't our A-game, but we got it done."

Wendell, who made 7-of-19 shots from the floor, was named the Lady Rebel Round-Up Most Valuable Player. Wendell hit four three-pointers as the Bulldogs knocked down a season-high 13 as a team. Ingle scored eight points and handed out seven assists. Dean was 8-of-13 from the floor.

Drake held UNLV (5-1) to just 31.2 percent from the floor (24-of-77), including just 5-of-14 (35.7 percent). Aley Rhode led UNLV with 16 points.
UNLV pulled within four points midway through the third quarter, but Drake always had an answer as the Lady Rebels never got within six points the rest of the way as the Bulldogs pulled away for the win.

The Bulldogs overcame a sluggish start to the game as they turned things around taking a 16-13 lead off a three by Wendell to end the quarter. The Lady Rebels were held scoreless for 2:30 to finish the opening quarter.

In the second, Dean ended a nearly three-minute scoreless drought with a tough basket in the paint to extend the Drake lead to 28-21 in the second. On the Bulldogs' following possession, Wendell snagged an offensive board and was fouled on the putback attempt. She hit both free throws to push the advantage to 30-21. Later Dean helped engineer a 7-2 run to close the period, scoring five points in the run, and Paige Greiner (Williamsburg, Iowa) added the other two with a layup with just one second on the game clock.

Dean dropped in 12 points while Wendell added nine points in the first half. Drake shot 48 percent and held UNLV to just 24 percent from the field.

Drake travels to South Dakota Thursday, Dec. 3 for a 7 p.m. contest. The Bulldogs will return to the Knapp Center on Dec. 6 against Green Bay at 2 p.m.