VANCOUVER, Canada – The Drake University women's basketball team rallied from a four-point overtime deficit against No. 12/13 South Carolina for a 90-85 upset victory Saturday night at the Vancouver Showcase in the third-place game.
The win over South Carolina (3-3) is the highest over a ranked opponent for Drake (6-1) since the 2002 team defeated No. 7 Baylor in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Bulldogs also defeated the Gamecocks for the first time in four meetings between the programs.
Sara Rhine (Eldon, Mo.), who was named the game's most valuable player, poured in a game-high 25 points, including 15 after halftime. Four others joined Rhine in double digits as
Brenni Rose (Shawnee, Kan.) scored a season-high 17 points,
Becca Hittner (Urbandale, Iowa) added 19 points and
Sammie Bachrodt (Wichita, Kan.) had 10 points.
Te'a Cooper scored a game-high 31 points for South Carolina. Tyasha Harris finished with 18 and Alexis Jennings had 10.
Rose made two free throws with 4:30 left in the game that put Drake up 68-62. But Jennings later tied the game at 69-69 at the 3:45 mark and then South Carolina led 77-75 with just over one-minute remaining in the contest after a pair of free throw makes by Jennings. However, Rhine then tied the game at 77-all before South Carolina took the lead again, making another two free throws by Doniyah Cliney with 28 seconds to go. But Rose came through with a huge layup, driving all the way to the hoop, from nearly half court as she beat the Gamecocks and finished with her left hand and with 16 seconds on the game clock.
South Carolina had one final chance to win it in regulation but Cliney's jumper was short as time expired. In overtime, Cooper and Harris made back-to-back buckets for the fast four-point lead. The Bulldogs didn't panic though as Rhine sliced the deficit in half with a layup and after a steal by
Hannah Fuller (West Des Moines, Iowa), Hittner made a clutch three-pointer that gave the Bulldogs the lead, 84-83. After Fuller pulled down a defensive rebound on the next SC possession, she hit a wide-open
Becca Jonas (Independence, Mo.) for another layup and an 86-83 lead. Harris made two more free throws, but the Bulldogs got two defensive stops and Rhine and Bachrodt each made a pair of free throws that sealed the win and the third-place finish.
No. 1/1 Notre Dame, which beat Drake Friday night in the semifinals, won the tournament before Drake vs. South Carolina, as the Fighting Irish defeated No. 8/9 Oregon State.
Drake, which led by as many as 10 in the third quarter, fell behind by nine early in the evening. But the Bulldogs stayed steady as Hittner converted a three-point play and
Brenni Rose nailed a 3-pointer to give Drake a 40-36 lead in the second quarter. Later with just 30 seconds on the clock before halftime, Hittner made a layup for a 42-36 Drake lead at halftime. The Bulldogs' bench was outstanding in the first two quarters with 24 points behind 10 each from Rhine and Rose. Hittner added nine points.
Following the Bulldogs' trip to Vancouver, they continue their road trip at Creighton Wednesday. Tipoff against their former MVC rival is scheduled for 12 p.m.
