DES MOINES, Iowa -
Maddie Monahan led four players in double figures with 17 points and the Drake University women's basketball team turned in its third straight outstanding effort on defense in rolling past Indiana State 90-40 at the Knapp Center on Friday night.
Grace Berg reserved a slow start with an eight-point burst at the end of the first quarter and the Bulldogs outscored Indiana State 26-3 in the second quarter to break it open. The final 50-point margin was the largest of the game.
Berg finished with 16 points and seven rebounds.
Maggie Bair also scored 16, a career high, and added six rebounds and five blocks.
Monica Burich played a solid game in the post with 12 points and eight rebounds, while
Allie Wooldridge led all rebounders with nine.
Drake improved to 4-1 in the Missouri Valley Conference with its ninth straight victory over Indiana State and squared its overall record at 6-6. The Sycamores (4-6, 1-4) have lost four straight since starting Valley play with a victory at Loyola.
The 40 points are the fewest Drake has allowed in a conference game since defeating Evansville 66-39 on Feb. 22, 2019, and it comes after the Bulldogs surrendered just 50 and 43 points in a sweep at Evansville last weekend.
Drake held Indiana State to 23.2 percent shooting, built a 55-33 rebounding advantage and had assists on 29 of its 35 baskets. The Bulldogs shot 54.7 percent, with Monahan going 6-for-8, including 4-for-5 on 3-pointers, and Bair hitting 5 of her 7 shots. The four 3s matched a career high for Monahan.
Kierra Collier led the assist parade with seven, while Monahan and Bair each handed out five. The Bulldogs scored with sharp cuts to the baskets, accurate lob passes into the low post and in transition. It was the third time this season they have reached 90 points.
The Bulldogs missed their first four shots in falling behind 4-0 and trailed 16-12 with 2:25 left in the first quarter.
That's when Berg went to work. After getting fouled going for a rebound, she sank two free throws, converted a three-point play off a fastbreak layup, and knocked down a 3-pointer from the left corner. That put Drake up 20-16 at the end of the quarter and it was all Bulldogs after that.
They hit 12-of-16 shots in the second quarter while Indiana State was going 1-for-19. It was the fewest points Drake had allowed in a quarter since limiting Evansville to 3 in the second quarter last Jan. 19.
In all, Drake fashioned a 24-0 run spanning halftime to open a 51-19 lead, holding Indiana State without a point for 9 1/2 minutes. The lead grew from there and the Bulldogs got points from 10 of the 11 players who got into the game.
Marie Hunter led Indiana State with 10 points. The two teams will meet again at the Knapp Center at 3 p.m. Saturday.
