The Basics
Drake women's basketball returns to the Knapp Center this weekend for their first two home games of the New Year and the 2022-23 MVC season. The Bulldogs will host Valley newcomers Belmont and Murray State on Friday, Jan. 6 and Sunday, Jan. 8, respectively.
 
The Bulldogs' tilts against Belmont and Murray State, along with the Drake men's basketball contest versus the Racers, will be part of the annual Des Moines' Hometown Weekend celebration. More information regarding the weekend's event is explained below.
 
Beware of Bair
Just prior to the holiday break, Maggie Bair collected MVC Player of the Week honors (12/12). She leads the team with 16.9 points and 8.4 rebounds per game on a .654 field goal percentage.
 
It's Miller Time
Reserve forward Anna Miller has been a defensive standout for Drake this season. The sophomore post has posted 21 rejections, the most on the Bulldog roster and second-highest blocks total in the Missouri Valley.
 
Hometown Hero
Sophomore guard and Waukee, Iowa native Katie Dinnebier has been one of the premier distributors in the Missouri Valley Conference this season with an average of 4.7 assists per game, the second-best average in the league. She is also one of three active double-digit scorers for Drake with 12.5 points per contest.
 
You Better Berg-lieve It
Another local product, Indianola, Iowa native and recent Drake University gradute Grace Berg has been an all-around star for the Dogs. She rests towards the top of Drake's stat sheet in scoring (13.7 ppg), rebounding (5.4 rpg), distribution (3.2 apg), and field goals (.485). Berg is closing in on the 1,000-career point mark with 955 points as a Bulldog.
 
Bulldog Injury Report
2021-22 MVC Newcomer of the Year and 2022-23 MVC Preseason All-Conference selection Megan Meyer has been ruled out for the remainder of the season after suffering a torn ACL (anterior cruciate ligament). Meyer averaged 12.9 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.8 assists while playing nearly 30 minutes per game.
 
In a Rhythm
Drake's offense is firing on all cylinders as the Bulldogs boast the 12th-highest scoring average in NCAA Division I hoops at 83.0 points per game.
 
New Year, New Bulldogs
Drake rang in the New Year with their first MVC victory of the season. The Bulldogs completed the weekend split with a blowout win at Bradley (1/1) after dropping the league opener at Illinois State (12/30).
 
Welcome to the Valley
This weekend's opponents, Belmont and Murray State, will visit Des Moines for the first time as members of the the Missouri Valley Conference. The Bruins and Racers will face off with Drake for the first time in either team's history.
 
Des Moines' Hometown Weekend
The Drake men's and women's basketball teams will host their annual Des Moines' Hometown Weekend. The weekend's festivities include three basketball games featuring Des Moines-centric uniforms, post-game musical acts by local artists, and a women's basketball alumni celebration.
 
This weekend's musical guests will be Lady Revel on Friday and Annie Kemble on Saturday. The entertainment will perform short sets at halftime with another longer show following each game.
 
Team Stats Leaders
As a team, Drake ranks in the national top 10 of these statistical categories:
·      Defensive rebounds./game - 1st - 34.9
·      Assists/game - 2nd - 20.7

• Field goal pct. - 9th - 48.7

 
Scouting Belmont
Belmont enters the weekend undefeated in MVC player with double-digit wins over Valparaiso and UIC last weekend. The Bruins also hold a 6-7 overall record after a difficult non-conference schedule including three ranked opponents.
 
Belmont came into the season as the preseason favorite in The Valley as the Bruins were selected first in the 2022-23 MVC Preseason Poll. They also boast the 2022-23 MVC Preseason Player of the Year in Destinee Wells.
 
Wells, a 5'6" guard, leads the team offensively with 16.8 points per game on 42.0% field goal shooting, 38.2% three-point shooting, and 87.3% free throw shooting. She also paces the Bruins with 57 total assists for an average of 4.4 per game.
 
Other key contributors include double-digit scorers Madison Bartley, Sydni Harvey, and Tuti Jones, all of whom are logging 11+ points per game. Tessa Miller leads the Bruins on the glass with 6.5 rebounds per game followed by Bartley and Jones with 5+ boards per contest.
 
Belmont is led by sixth-year head coach Bart Brooks. In his six seasons in Nashville, Brooks has led the Bruins to a record of 129-41 including back-to-back wins in the NCAA Tournament as a 12 seed.
 
Friday's matchup between Drake and Belmont will be the first-ever meeting between the two teams.
 
Scouting Murray State
The Racers of Murray State come into this weekend's games leading the Missouri Valley Conference with a 2-0 record in league play and a 9-2 mark overall. Murray State also took down UIC and Valparaiso to open the MVC season. The Racers are riding a four-game winning streak including their first two conference bouts and two road wins at Kentucky and Bellarmine.
 
Murray State is led by 2022-23 Preseason All-MVC selection Katelyn Young as the conference's second-leading scorer. Young is netting 19.3 points per game on 53.0% shooting from the field and 92.3% shooting from the free throw stripe. She also leads the Racers on the boards with 7.5 rebounds per match and has dished out the team's second-most assists with 34.
 
Macey Turley is the Racers' only other double-digit scorer with nearly 11 points per game. Bria Sanders-Woods has been a defensive menace with a team-high 13 steals.
 
Rechelle Turner, a Murray State alum, is in her sixth season at the helm of the Racer program. Turner has led the Racers to an 85-75 during her six years.
 
Up Next
The Bulldogs will host archrival UNI on Wednesday, Jan. 11 before a road trip to Indiana State on Saturday, Jan. 14.