DES MOINES, Iowa – The Drake University women's basketball team blitzed Evansville, 107-66, in Missouri Valley Conference action Sunday afternoon at the Knapp Center.
 
Drake (11-7, 6-0 MVC), which won its sixth straight game, hit the century mark for the third time this season. The 106 points are the most points scored against a MVC opponent since the 1996-97 Drake team scored 106 versus Creighton on Jan. 25, 1997. Evansville (3-13, 0-5 MVC) was led by graduate transfer, Hannah Noe, who had 22 points.
 
Sophomore Becca Hittner (Urbandale, Iowa) finished with a game-high 23 points and narrowly missed a double-double with nine rebounds. Hittner added four assists. Redshirt sophomore Sara Rhine (Eldon, Mo.) just missed her second consecutive double-double with 22 points and eight rebounds. It is the fourth 20-plus scoring game for Hittner this season, and the fifth 20-plus performance by Rhine.
 
Redshirt junior Maddy Dean (Jordan, Minn.) scored 14 points and needs just four more points for 1,000 in her career. Dean recorded five assists for the second-straight game. Senior Paige Greiner (Williamsburg, Iowa) chipped in a season-high 11 points behind a 3-of-3 day from behind the three-point line.
 
Bulldogs blitzed the Purple Aces in the opening period with a season-high of 38 points in a quarter behind blistering shooting of 76.5 percent from the floor and an even more impressive 83.3 percent from behind the three-point line. Hittner scored 13 points in the quarter.
 
Drake didn't cool off much in the second quarter as it finished with a 65-36 halftime lead behind seven three-pointers made in the period. The 65 points scored are the fourth most points in a half in program history. Nine different Bulldogs scored while Dean and Greiner each knocked down three three-pointers each.



As a team, it was a balanced scoresheet as all 11 Bulldogs logged double-digit minutes and every player scored at least two points. Drake shot the basketball exceptionally well at 54.8 percent from the floor, one game after finishing at a season-high 55.2 percent against Indiana State. Drake made 14 three-pointers for the third time this season. Seven Bulldogs made at least one three with five Bulldogs drilling two or more.  
 
The Bulldogs, who ranked fourth in the country in team assists per contest coming into the game, continued their impressive sharing the basketball play with 32 assists on 40 field goals as four different Bulldogs handed out at least four assists. The effort was led by redshirt junior Becca Jonas (Independence, Mo.), who equaled her career-high with six assists.
 
Following Sunday's game, Drake continues its homestand against UNI Jan. 19 with tipoff set for 7 p.m. The game is the MVC's Game of the Week on ESPN3.