ESTERO, Fla. – Following a tough loss to Purdue Friday night, the Drake University women's basketball routed Maine, 94-62, Saturday, Nov. 30 afternoon on the second day of the Gulf Coast Showcase.
 
Becca Hittner scored a season-high 30 points for Drake (5-2). Hittner blistered the nets making 9-of-12 shots and matched her career-high with five three-pointers. Sara Rhine added 15 points, Maggie Bair tallied a career-best 13 and Kierra Collier chipped in 10. Maine (2-5) was led in scoring by Maddy Mcvicar who finished with 11 points.
 
After a tough shooting performance against the Boilermakers, the Bulldogs bounced back going an impressive 33-of-59 (55.9 percent) from the floor. After making just one three against Purdue, Drake made 11 against the Black Bears.
 
The Bulldogs grabbed an early 7-2 lead behind four free throws by Hittner and a three by Brenni Rose, which forced a quick Black Bears' timeout. In the first quarter, Hittner knocked down all three of her three-pointers and finished with 13 points to help Drake lead 25-15. She was one of six Bulldogs to score in the opening period.
 
Drake's hot shooting continued as Hittner ended with 21 first-half points and Rhine joined her in double-digits with 12. The Bulldogs finished 45.5 percent from beyond the arc and 50.0 percent from the floor. Drake controlled the paint with a 42-16 advantage and a 41-16 advantage on the glass. The Bulldogs converted 18 second-chance points. Their bench scored a season-high 34.
 
After halftime, Maine pulled within 14 points midway through the third, but Drake countered with a 6-0 run and later led by 15 at the end of the quarter. However, Sarah Beth Gueldner drilled a three-pointer for the Bulldogs' first points of the fourth quarter. The teams traded baskets until Bair started an 11-0 run with a layup and the run was capped by Maggie Negaard's three. Drake would lead by as 35 points on its way to defeating Maine for the first time in three meetings. Gueldner set a new career-best with nine points on a career-high three three-pointers.
 
Auburn and Drake will meet for just the third time on Sunday at 12:30 p.m. in the fifth-place championship game. The Tigers hold a 2-0 advantage after they held off the Bulldogs, 85-80, in the last matchup on Dec. 21, 2016 at the Tulane Classic in New Orleans.