CHICAGO – Following hard-fought back-to-back wins in its final homestand at the Knapp Center, the Drake University women's basketball team visits Loyola Friday night at Gentile Arena. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. and it will be streamed on ESPN+.
 
Drake (20-7, 12-3 MVC) clinched its sixth-straight 20-win season and moved into second place in the league standings with the victories over Bradley and Illinois State. The impressive winning streak started in 2014-15 and ties the MVC record for consecutive 20-win seasons with Drake (1996-2001) and Missouri State (1990-96).
 
Loyola (15-10, 6-8 MVC) is coming off a 70-57 home loss to Valparaiso (15-10, 7-7 MVC), which Drake will play Sunday at 1 p.m. at the ARC and the game will be streamed on ESPN+.
 
Kierra Collier and Sara Rhine were recognized by the Missouri Valley Conference for their outstanding performances in the victories over the Braves and Redbirds. Collier was selected the MVC Newcomer of the Week for the first time in her young career while Rhine was named MVC Player of the Week for the 11^th time. Rhine's awards total ties Kristi Cirone of Illinois State for third-most in league history and trails former teammate Lizzy Wendell (14) and Jackie Stiles (18).
 
Collier, a redshirt sophomore in her first season for the Bulldogs after sitting out last season following her transfer from Washington, averaged 16.0 points, 3.0 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.5 rebounds while shooting 46.2 percent (12-of-26) from the floor and making all 7-of-7 attempts from the free throw line in the home wins. She scored 22 points in the Bradley win, including a dominating stretch where she scored seven-straight points late in the fourth quarter to help secure the victory. Rhine recorded double-doubles in each win, averaging 22.5 points, 11.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.0 block per game while shooting a blistering 66.7 percent (14-of-21) from the floor, 66.7 from three (2-of-3) and 83.3 percent (15-of-18) from the free throw line. She has eight double-doubles this season, which is the second-most in the league and 32 in her career, a total that ranks 22nd among active Division I players.
 
Following this weekend, Drake closes the regular season at in-state rival UNI on March 6 at 6:30 p.m.