CHICAGO – The Drake University women's basketball team swept its weekend Missouri Valley Conference doubleheader against Loyola with a 68-64 victory on Saturday night at Gentile Arena.
Sarah Beth Gueldner led Drake (10-8, 8-3 MVC) with a career-high 17 points on a perfect 6-of-6 shooting.
The Bulldogs again erupted for a quick lead over Loyola (7-6, 5-4 MVC), this time jumping out to a 17-3 advantage after rattling off 12-straight points to start the game.
Maddie Monahan netted seven points to help key the run.
Allie Wooldridge connected on a triple during the stretch as part of her career-best three 3-pointers in the game. She notched seven assists to mark a career-high.
Drake stretched its lead with an 8-0 burst in the second quarter spurred on by a pair of 3-pointers from Gueldner, who tied her personal best with five made 3s on five attempts.
Gueldner was often the beneficiary of the Bulldogs' ball movement, as Drake recorded 13 assists on 13 makes en route to a 37-23 halftime lead.
The Ramblers refused to go quietly, reeling off runs of 12-3 and 7-0 in the second half to claw back into the game. Ellie Rice recorded a career-high 28 points to lead all scorers.
Loyola made another push late in the fourth quarter, but Gueldner drilled her fifth and final 3-pointer to halt the Ramblers' 5-0 mini-run and extend Drake's lead back to seven with 3:36 to play.
Loyola's final charge fell short when
Grace Berg with help from Monahan made the defensive play of the night, thwarting Rice's potential game-tying layup in the closing seconds with a suffocating contest at the rim. Monahan iced the game with a pair of clutch free throws.
Berg also made an impact at the offensive end, netting 17 points to tie Gueldner for the Drake lead.
Monica Burich (10 points on 4-of-4 shooting) and Wooldridge (10 points) joined Berg and Gueldner in double figures. Monahan finished with nine points and six assists and served as a major reason the Bulldogs were credited with 21 assists on 24 made shots.
The Bulldogs return to action at home with their annual Pink Game presented by MercyOne Medical Center Des Moines on Thursday against Southern Illinois. Tipoff at the Knapp Center is slated for 5 p.m.
