DES MOINES, Iowa – The Drake University women's basketball team opened its exhibition schedule with a 92-59 win over the Central Missouri Jennies on Tuesday, Oct. 29 night at the Knapp Center.
 
Central Missouri won the Division II national championship in 2018 and features four D-I transfers on its roster. The Jennies showed their pedigree early before the Bulldogs pulled away to cruise to victory.
 
Becca Hittner jumped out of the gates with five quick points to lift Drake to a 9-4 lead at the first media timeout. Sara Rhine's turnaround jumper from the baseline to beat the first quarter buzzer gave the Bulldogs a 16-12 lead after the opening 10 minutes.
 
Rhine finished with 17 points on 7-of-8 shooting to go along with six rebounds.
 
Drake's zone defense forced Central Missouri into several late-clock situations, the main reason the Jennies were held to 29 percent shooting in the first frame.
 
Central Missouri's outside shots began to fall in the second quarter – the Jennies hit 4-of-6 3-pointers in the period – as it continued to hang around, but Maddie Monahan provided the turning point for the Bulldogs.
 
Monahan collected a defensive rebound and went coast-to-coast for an and-one layup to give Drake a 30-28 lead with 4:47 remaining in the second quarter. It was the beginning of a 17-2 run to close the half that gave the Bulldogs the lead for good.
 
Monahan scored seven of her game-high 23 points during the run. In the third quarter, she and Kierra Collier, who made her Drake debut after sitting out last year, combined to score five-straight baskets for the Bulldogs over a three-and-a-half-minute stretch to begin the third quarter.
 
Brenni Rose made her presence felt with her passing throughout the night as she finished with a game-best nine assists. She connected with Monahan for layups on consecutive possessions late in the third quarter, and dished another helper for her third assist in just over one minute of play.
 
Rose found Monahan on a baseline out-of-bounds play to begin the fourth quarter, and Monahan hit nothing but net on her corner 3-pointer attempt to extend Drake's lead to 74-46.
 
All 12 Bulldogs that suited up saw action as freshmen Taylor McAulay, Sarah Beth Gueldner, and Maggie Bair carried the Bulldogs through the fourth quarter. Gueldner and McAulay each scored six points while Bair added four points and four rebounds.
 
Drake plays its final exhibition on Sunday against Simpson College at the Knapp Center. Game time will be announced on Thursday. Check www.GoDrakeBulldogs.com and follow @DrakeWBB for the latest news.