GRAND FORKS, N.D. – The Drake University women's basketball team rallied for a 99-91 win at North Dakota Friday, Nov. 11 to start the 2016-17 regular season.
The back-and-forth game between Drake (1-0) and North Dakota (0-1) featured nine lead changes and five ties. Each team's largest lead came in the second quarter and was nine points.
Senior
Lizzy Wendell (Blue Springs, Mo.) scored a game-high 34 points on 14-of-23 shooting and just missed a double-double with nine boards. Senior
Caitlin Ingle (Runnells, Iowa) recorded a double-double with 13 points and 13 assists.
Sophomores
Sara Rhine (Eldon, Mo.) and
Nicole Miller (Walker, Iowa) joined the senior duo in double figures. Rhine had 16 points and eight rebounds and Miller finished with 14 points including 12 second-half points. Senior
Cortni Rush (Mason City, Iowa) sparked the Bulldogs off the bench with eight points.
"The players made big plays," said Drake head coach
Jennie Baranczyk. "Nicole showed great confidence, stepped up made big shots and made key defensive stops. Lizzy and Caitlin stepped up. Lizzy not just scoring the basketball, but she grabbed some big rebounds especially late. Caitlin continues to do such great things, scoring 13 points and handing out 13 assists."
North Dakota led 71-69 after the first three quarters of play, but at the start of the fourth quarter Rhine converted a three-point play and Wendell drilled a three-pointer to swing the lead back in Drake's favor at 75-71. The Fighting Hawks answered with a 7-0 run, but Miller came through with a clutch three to stop the run and pull the Bulldogs to within 80-78. The teams traded baskets before North Dakota claimed a five-point lead at 86-81 with just over four minutes left in the game. However, it was the final time the Fighting Hawks led as the Bulldogs roared back with a 14-0 scoring run to seize the game and complete the comeback. During the final scoring run, Drake held North Dakota scoreless for nearly four minutes.
"We hit some big free throws, grabbed big rebounds and made some great defensive stops when we needed it," Baranczyk said. "The game was a back-and-forth dogfight between two good teams."
Drake shot 52.4 percent from the floor (33-of-63) and 81.8 percent from the free throw line (27-of-33). Freshman
Brenni Rose (Shawnee, Kan.) scored seven points in her debut.
Wendell led the Bulldogs in the opening quarter with 13 points as they led 21-17. She was an efficient 6-of-9 from the floor to extend her double-figures scoring streak to 79-straight games.
North Dakota outscored Drake, 26-21, in the second quarter to take a 47-42 lead at halftime. Wendell scored a game-high 19 points in the first two quarters.
Drake travels to Omaha, Neb., Nov. 17 to face former MVC-rival Creighton. Tipoff against the Bluejays is set for 7 p.m.
