MOLINE, Ill. – The top-seeded Drake University women's basketball team advanced to its fourth-straight Missouri Valley Conference Tournament semifinal with an 86-58 quarterfinals win over Valparaiso Friday afternoon.
 
Drake (26-5) will play the winner of No. 4 Illinois State and Bradley, which followed today's game, Saturday at 1:30 p.m. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.
 
Four Bulldogs finished in double figures led by Becca Hittner's (Urbandale, Iowa) game-high 18 points. Maddy Dean (Jordan, Minn.) finished with 16 points while Sara Rhine (Eldon, Mo.) and Monica Burich (Roseville, Minn.) just missed double-doubles with 14 points and nine rebounds and 10 points and nine rebounds, respectively.
 
Drake started the game with two free throws by Sammie Bachrodt (Wichita, Kan.) after Valparaiso (8-24) was assessed an administrative technical foul for not reporting their starters in time to the official scorer prior to the game. Bachrodt knocked both free throws down. The Crusaders won the tip and Addison Stoller scored on the possession, but it was their last points for over eight minutes until Grace Hales made three free throws after being fouled on a three-pointer.
 
Drake's defense was outstanding in the first quarter holding Valpo to just five points, three from free throws and just one basket, as it led 21-5 after one quarter. Brenni Rose (Shawnee, Kan.) and Burich scored five and four points, respectively, off the bench. Rose nearly had her own double-double off the bench with seven points and nine rebounds.
 
After the dominant start, the Bulldogs would lead by as many as 34 points in the game and never let the lead dip below 15 points. Drake shot 51.6 percent (33-of-64) from the floor and 40.0 percent (8-of-20) from three. Valpo had 17 field goals, 13 of which were three-pointers. The Crusaders scored their other 11 points on free throws. Drake dominated the glass with a 50-24 advantage, leading to 20 second-chance points and controlled the paint with a 48-8 advantage.