DES MOINES, Iowa – After playing six of its seven non-conference games on the road, the Drake University women's basketball team begins Missouri Valley Conference action against Bradley on Jan. 1-2 at the Knapp Center. Friday's game will start at 2 p.m. while Saturday's is set for a noon tipoff. Both games will be streamed on ESPN+.
 
The Bulldogs host the Braves for back-to-back games with the league's block schedule format being used for the 2021 conference slate in response to the global COVID-19 pandemic. Friday will be the first of five home contests for Drake, which logged nearly 2,700 miles during non-conference play, in the month of January.
 
Drake (2-5) is looking to snap a three-game losing streak and vying to win their fifth-straight MVC opener when it takes the floor against Bradley (4-3). The two teams rank No. 2 and No. 3 in scoring offense among Valley teams with the Bulldogs at 78.9 points and the Braves at 73.6 points, and the teams have five of the top six individual scorers in the MVC.
 
For Drake, Grace Berg (16.6 ppg), Maddie Monahan (16.3 ppg) and Kierra Collier (15.6 ppg) are averaging career-highs while ranking third, T-4th and sixth, respectively, in the MVC. League-leader Lasha Petree (21.0 ppg) and Gabi Haack (16.3) are Bradley's top scorers.
 
Along with their top three scorers, the Bulldogs' other top scorers, Monica Burich (7.3 ppg), Allie Wooldridge (5.7 ppg) and Maggie Bair (5.3 ppg), are also averaging career-bests. Coming off the bench, Bair posted her first-ever double-doubles in two of Drake's final three non-conference games. Her double-double against Iowa State of 12 points and 10 rebounds along with a career-high five blocks earned her MVC Player of the Week honors this afternoon. It is the first-ever player of the week honor for Bair and Drake's first of the 2020-21 season.
Following opening weekend, Drake hits the road going to Evansville on Jan. 7-8. Both games will start at 6 p.m.