DES MOINES, Iowa – The Drake University women's basketball team hosts South Dakota Thursday in the team's home opener. Tipoff at the Knapp Center is set for 6 p.m. and all of the Bulldogs' night contests this season will tip at 6 p.m. The game will be broadcast locally on Mediacom/MC 22 and digitally on ESPN3.
 
Drake (2-0) starts its home slate against a familiar regional rival in South Dakota (2-0). The Bulldogs and the Coyotes first played each other in 1979, but didn't play again until the first round of the 2012 WNIT. Drake won the first four meetings in the series, but South Dakota has won four of the past five games, including a pair of victories in Des Moines. The last matchup was a 92-87 overtime thriller won by South Dakota.
 
This season, the second quarter was key in both of Drake's road wins. Combined the Bulldogs outscored the Cornhuskers and Leathernecks, 59-19, in the second quarters. Drake shot a blistering 70.0 percent (21-of-30) from the floor and 75 percent (12-of-16) from beyond the arc in the two quarters.
 
Redshirt junior Sara Rhine (Eldon, Mo.) was named the first Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week on Monday. It is the fourth player of the week award all-time for Rhine, who was the 2018 MVC Sixth Player of the Year, and the 91st for the program. Rhine's award, which she earned behind back-to-back double-doubles, is the 25th MVC player of the week award for a Drake player since Drake head coach Jennie Baranczyk took over the program in 2012-13.
 
This season, South Dakota earned wins at Creighton and a home victory over Incarnate Word. The Coyotes are coming off a 29-7 record in 2017-18, including sweeping the Summit League regular season (14-0). Junior Taylor Frederick is the reigning Summit League Player of the Week who leads the team in scoring at 17.5 points per game.
 
Following Thursday's home opener, Drake welcomes CSUN Sunday at 1 p.m. in the first-ever meeting between the teams. The Matadors, who play in the Big West Conference, won the 2018 Big West Tournament. CSUN lost to the eventual NCAA champions, Notre Dame, in the first round of the 2018 NCAA Tournament. Sunday's game will be broadcast on ESPN+.