DES MOINES, Iowa – The Drake University women's basketball closes its short homestand Wednesday night when Northern Illinois visits the Knapp Center. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on The Valley On ESPN3.
 
Drake (2-2) welcomes Northern Illinois (4-1) after defeating Wyoming, 63-50, Sunday afternoon in the team's home opener. The Bulldogs led by eight points at the start of the fourth quarter but the Cowgirls rallied to pull within one point at 50-49 with 5:41 to play. However, Drake answered with a 13-1 run to close the game and pull away for the win.
 
Senior Lizzy Wendell (Blue Springs, Mo.) made 8-of-11 shots to lead the Bulldogs with 18 points. Sophomore Sammie Bachrodt (Wichita, Kan.) scored in double-figures for the third-straight game with 11 points. Drake's bench scored a combined 22 points in the win after failing to score in the loss at Iowa State on Nov. 20. The Bulldogs welcomed back redshirt sophomore Becca Jonas (Independence, Mo.) who missed last season due to injury. Jonas had eight points, three rebounds and one steal in her season debut.
 
Drake has three of the top 10 scorers in the Missouri Valley Conference. Wendell, who led the MVC in scoring in each of the previous two seasons, is at the top this season at 22.8 points per game. Senior Caitlin Ingle (Runnells, Iowa), who paces the MVC in assists at 6.8 per game, is seventh at 13.3 points. Bachrodt is 10^th with a career-high average of 12.0. Wendell's average currently ranks ninth in the nation.
 
The Bulldogs are sharing the basketball as well this season. They lead the league in assists per game at 18.8 per game. Wendell is right behind Ingle in the MVC individual assists rankings at 4.5 per game.
 
Last season, Drake and Northern Illinois played each other for the first time since 1985. The Huskies claimed their first-ever win in the series with a late scoring run for the 87-73 win in DeKalb, Ill. Drake holds a 4-1 all-time advantage. This year, six players average 10 or more points for NIU, who leads the nation in scoring at 97.0 points per game.
 
Following Wednesday's contest, Drake returns to the road this Saturday at Green Bay. Tipoff against the Phoenix is scheduled for 1 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on Praise 940.