ST. CHARLES, Mo. – Freshmen Maddy Dean (Jordan, Minn.) and Becca Jonas (Independence, Mo.) each scored 21 points as the Drake University women's basketball team dropped a 84-79 overtime back-and-forth contest to the Evansville Purple Aces in the quarterfinals of the 2015 Missouri Valley Conference Tournament at Family Arena.
Sophomore Lizzy Wendell (Blue Springs, Mo.) finished with 16 points and Caitlin Ingle (Runnells, Iowa) added 10 points for Drake (20-10).
Kristina Hart led Evansville (12-18) with a game-high 29 points behind 6-of-8 shooting from the three-point line. The Purple Aces made 17 three-pointers as a team.
“This was a tough one for us, but you have to give a lot of credit to Evansville,” said Drake head coach Jennie Baranczyk. “They had a ton of energy, especially when we went into that overtime period. I think it took us a little bit too long to get started. They're a good three-point shooting team, they really are. I know they set a record tonight. I think a lot of that was we didn't do what we needed to do. We gave them some open shots, and they hit those open shots.”
Wendell had a layup attempt at the end of regulation to win the game that came so close to dropping in, but Jonas rebounded the miss after the basketball spun around the rim, and fired a pass to Dean for a shot attempt that came after the buzzer sounded as the Bulldogs headed for their second consecutive overtime game.
The two teams traded baskets at the start of the overtime period with Wendell's jumper evening the score at 65-65 with four minutes left in overtime. Kat Taylor then hit a three-pointer for Evansville to go up 68-65.
However, a double foul on Dean and Hart on Evansville's next possession at the 3:19 mark weighed in favor of the Purple Aces. Dean pulled down a rebound off a missed jumper and was fouled by Hart. However, the referees went to the monitor for review and an added a flagrant elbow call against Dean. Dean sunk two free throws, but Hart was also awarded two free throws, which she made and Evansville kept the ball. On the following possession Hart hit another three and one possession later Mallory Ladd added a jumper to stretch the lead to eight points.
A resilient Drake squad didn't give up as they battled all the way back to pull within two points at 75-73 after Jonas converted a three-point play with 1:43 left. However, the Bulldogs couldn't pull any closer as Evansville scored nine points down the stretch while holding Drake to six points to pull off the upset.
A 8-0 scoring run with layups by Jonas, back-to-back turnovers by the Purple Aces, a layup by Paige Greiner (Williamsburg, Iowa) and finally capped with a layup from Wendell helped the Bulldogs grab their first lead at 21-20 at the final stoppage of the opening half. A pair of free throws by Wendell and a tough drive to the hoop by Ingle extended their advantage to 25-20.
The Purple Aces used an 8-0 scoring run of their own at the end of the half to reclaim the lead, 28-25, at halftime.
Drake dominated the glass with a 50-30 rebounding advantage, led Jonas' game-high 15, as she recorded her ninth career double-double. Turnovers doomed the Bulldogs as they tied a season-high with 29 that led to 29 Purple Aces' points off the miscues. Jonas' 23 points helped Drake dominate points in the paint with a 34-10 advantage. Ingle just missed a points/assists double, finishing with nine assists as the team recorded 22.
The Bulldogs will now wait to find out on a possible postseason opportunity. Check back to www.GoDrakeBulldogs.com for updates as they become available, starting Monday, March 16 in the evening.
