DES MOINES, Iowa – Five players scored in double figures for the Drake University women's basketball team in a 84-65 win over Missouri State on Super Bowl Sunday in Missouri Valley Conference play at the Knapp Center in front of 3,784 fans.
 
Drake (16-7, 11-0 MVC) was led by redshirt sophomore Sara Rhine (Eldon, Mo.) who recorded a team-high 15 points and snagged six boards. Junior Nicole Miller (Walker, Iowa) had 14 points while redshirt junior Maddy Dean (Jordan, Minn.) and sophomore Becca Hittner (Urbandale, Iowa) each scored 13 points. Rounding out the group was sophomore Brenni Rose (Shawnee, Kan.) who finished with 13 points.
 
Senior Aubrey Buckley scored a career-high 22 points for Missouri State (12-10, 8-3 MVC), but the Bulldogs held Buckley to just two points after halftime. She did pull down a career-high 16 rebounds (10 offensive) to record a double-double. Emily Gartner added a career-high 18 points.  
 
Drake started the contest on a 5-0 run as redshirt junior Becca Jonas (Independence, Mo.) made a layup and Rose buried a three-pointer. Missouri State countered with a 15-4 scoring run to take a six-point lead, 15-9. The teams traded baskets until Buckley made four consecutive free throws to give the Lady Bears a 19-16 lead after the first quarter. The Bulldogs got off to a fast start in the second period with a 12-3 scoring run, capped by Miller's layup at the 6:24 mark, to go up 28-22. Rhine converted an and-one to push Drake's lead to 40-34, but Buckley beat the halftime buzzer to trim MSU's deficit to 40-36 at the break.
 
Out of halftime, Drake scored on its first two possessions of the third quarter to take a 44-36 advantage. Later, Missouri State pulled to within two points on two different occasions, the last on a Buckley layup at the 3:19 mark. However, the Bulldogs ripped off an 18-4 run over the next six minutes that stretched into the final period, to seize control of the game, holding a 68-54 lead with 6:54 to play. The deciding run included two three-pointers each from Dean and Rose and four points from Miller. Later, Drake would lead by as many as 20 points on its way to the victory.

 
Rose tied her career-high with three three-pointers while Dean equaled her season-high with three threes. Dean, Miller and Rhine continue to spark the Bulldogs off the bench helping the reserves outscore MSU's, 44-23. Miller made 5-of-7 shots, including both of her three-point attempts, to go along with four rebounds, two assists and one steal.
 
Rose handed out a game-high five assists and grabbed four rebounds. Drake recorded 21 assists on 29 field goals as seven Bulldogs dished out two or more assists.
 
Following Sunday's game, Drake visits Evansville on Feb. 9 at 7 p.m. and it will be broadcast on The Valley on ESPN3.  The game will take place in the Purple Aces' new on-campus home arena, Lois D. Patton Court inside the Meeks Family Fieldhouse.