DES MOINES, Iowa – The Drake University women's basketball hosts Western Illinois Sunday afternoon in the team's final home game of the month. Tipoff against their former Gateway Conference rival is set for 2 p.m. The game will be streamed on ESPN+ and on the radio on 1350 ESPN Des Moines.
 
Drake (3-1) is vying to remain undefeated on the Knapp Center floor when Western Illinois (3-3) visits. The Bulldogs are coming off a 63-53 victory over Creighton Nov. 16. Drake used a fast start, held off a midgame charge by the Bluejays and ended the contest with a convincing closing run to top their former Missouri Valley Conference rival.
 
Sara Rhine led all scorers with 16 points, and combined with Brenni Rose and Becca Hittner, who each scored 15 points, to tally 46 of Drake's 63 points. Hittner added 11 rebounds – one off her career-high – for her first double-double of the season.
 
Drake assisted on 20 out of 24 field goals in the win, and as a team ranks ninth in the country in assists per game at 21.5. Rose is averaging an MVC-leading 7.5 assists per game, a total that is tied for second in the NCAA. Drake is the only team in the country to rank in the top three in team assists each of the past three seasons.
 
Western Illinois travels to Des Moines coming off a home loss to Bradley. Olivia Kaufmann averages a team-high 17.2 points.  Last season, the Bulldogs and the Leathernecks, which were each members of the Gateway, renewed their rivalry that stared in 1982 but hadn't been played since 2007. Drake won that game in Macomb to improve to 24-1 all-time in the head-to-head matchup.
 
Following Sunday's home game, Drake heads to Estero, Fla. for the Gulf Coast Showcase. The Bulldogs play Purdue Nov. 29 at 6:30 p.m. in the first of the three scheduled game in the three-day Sunshine State eight team tournament.