TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – The Drake University women's basketball defeated Indiana State, 84-51, Sunday afternoon in Missouri Valley Conference at the Hulman Center.
 
Drake (18-7, 13-0 MVC), which never trailed against Indiana State (8-15, 6-6 MVC) and held an eight-point halftime lead, blew open the game with a big third quarter. The Bulldogs made 10-of-14 shots, including three three-pointers, and knocked down six free throws, to lead by 25 points, 67-42, after three quarters. They would lead by as many as 35 points in the final quarter.
 
For the fifth-straight game, Drake had five players finish in double-figure points led by Sara Rhine's (Eldon, Mo.) game-high 16 points. Rhine added 11 rebounds for her fifth double-double this season. Becca Jonas (Independence, Mo.) scored 14 points, grabbed five boards and handed out three assists. Coming off the bench, Nicole Miller (Walker, Iowa) finished with 14 points for her third-consecutive double-digit scoring performance. Rounding out the group was Sammie Bachrodt (Wichita, Kan.) and Maddy Dean (Jordan, Minn.), who each had 11 points. Bachrodt handed out six assists and made three three-pointers.
 
Drake led 38-30 at halftime. In the first two quarters, the Bulldogs dished out 13 assists on 17 field goals, including nine assists on ten buckets in the second quarter. Drake blistered the nets in the quarter making 10-of-14 shots, including three three-pointers. Rhine had 10 points and six rebounds at the break. Jonas added eight points.
 
Jonas made a layup 11 seconds into the third quarter and Bachrodt followed with a triple as the Sycamores never pulled to single digits the rest of the game. Nine different Bulldogs scored after halftime as the team outscored Indiana State, 46-21. The team cut their turnovers down committing just seven after the break after turning it over 13 times in the first two quarters.
 
Overall, Drake held Indiana State to just 27.7 shooting from the floor and 17.9 percent from behind the three-point line. The Bulldogs shot 56.9 percent (33-of-58) from the field, made eight three-pointers and recorded 25 assists as seven Bulldogs finished with two or more assists. Drake controlled the paint with a 46-20 advantage, a 47-29 advantage on the glass and the Bulldogs' reserves scored 43 points to just nine from the Sycamores' bench.
 
Following Sunday's game, Drake heads to in-state rival UNI Feb. 16. Tipoff with the Panthers is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the McLeod Center. It will be the MVC's featured game on The Valley on ESPN3.