SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – The Drake University women's basketball team defeated the Missouri State Lady Bears by a score of 82-75 on Friday night at JQH Arena in Missouri Valley Conference play. Drake improved to 9-5 overall and 2-1 in the MVC with its first win in Springfield, Mo. since Feb. 8, 2009.
 
Junior Lizzy Wendell (Blue Springs, Mo.) led the Bulldogs with 19 points, including 11 in the final two quarters, to go along with six rebounds and five assists. Sophomore Maddy Dean (Jordan, Minn.) just missed a double-double with 16 points and eight rebounds to go with three assists. Freshman Nicole Miller (Walker, Iowa) added 12 points and a pair of assists.
 
"I'm so proud of our team for pulling this out tonight against a great Missouri State team and in a very tough place to play," said Drake head coach Jennie Baranczyk. "If you weren't a fan of women's basketball before tonight you have to be now as both teams played really well and had their stars come out and make some really big plays in an exciting atmosphere."
 
Senior Tyonna Snow paced Missouri State (9-6, 2-1 MVC) with a game-high 24 points behind an impressive 14-of-15 performance from the free throw line. Senior Kenzie Williams had 17 points, five rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocks. Hillary Chvatal was the other Lady Bear in double figures with 11 points along nabbing eight rebounds.
 
The top two teams in the 2015-16 MVC Preseason Poll put on a show for the 3,225 fans in attendance with six lead changes and six ties in the contest. Drake, voted number two by the preseason voters, was able to hold off the favorites, Missouri State, with several big shots to answer several from the Lady Bears.
 
Snow connected on a pair of free throws with 15 seconds to go in the third quarter to pull Missouri State to within one point of Drake at 57-56. However, junior point guard Caitlin Ingle (Runnells, Iowa) found Wendell in the corner for a three-pointer with just two seconds left on the game clock. Ingle finished with six assists and now has 403 career assists, which ranks seventh all-time in school history.
 
Later in the fourth quarter it was Wendell again who answered with back-to-back buckets, as both pushed the Bulldogs' lead to six points. The first was another three-pointer after a pair of Williams' free throws and the next was a jumper after a pair of Snow free throws. Ingle made two baskets, Dean had one and senior Emma Donahue (Naperville, Ill.) had one in the final three minutes to help hold off a late rally by Missouri State.
 
All nine Bulldogs scored in Friday's win, and all nine played 12 or more minutes. As a team, the Bulldogs shot 48.5 percent and equaled a season-high with 12 three-pointers. Drake had 25 points from its bench, and also outrebounded Missouri State, 43-33.
 
Ingle and Sara Rhine (Eldon, Mo.), who played just a short drive from her hometown and had a large crowd of supporters at JQH Arena each finished with nine points. Donahue chipped in eight points.
 
Drake visits Wichita State on Sunday, Jan. 10 for a 2 p.m. contest that will be broadcast online on The Valley On ESPN3.