The Basics
The Drake women's basketball team will take a step up over their next two games as they prepare for back-to-back in-state rivalry matches. The Bulldogs will host Iowa State on Sunday, Nov. 12 and then travel to Iowa after nearly a week off on Sunday, Nov. 19.
Bulldogs by the Numbers
Drake is 2-0 through their first two games of the 2023-24 season with wins over St. Thomas (Nov. 6) and Saint Louis (Nov. 9). The Bulldogs have split their wins with the first coming at home and the second away from Des Moines.
Grace Berg leads a group of four Bulldogs averaging double figures with 17.5 points per game. She is just ahead of
Anna Brown (15.5 ppg),
Katie Dinnebier (15.5 ppg), and
Taylor McAulay (10.5 ppg). Dinnebier is also averaging over five assists through the first two contests.
Elsewhere,
Courtney Becker has been a force on the glass with an average of nine rebounds and four offensive rebounds per game. Becker is also one of three Bulldogs make five steals on the defensive end while
Anna Miller has logged the same number of blocks.
Scouting Iowa State
The Cyclones enter the weekend with a 1-0 record after opening their 2023-24 campaign with an 82-55 win over Butler in Ames on Nov. 6.
Nyamer Diew led Iowa State with 19 points against Butler followed by Isnelle Natabou's 14, Kelsey Joens' 13, and Addy Brown with 11. Diew also snagged a team-high nine rebounds while Brown's five assists paced ISU. Defensively, Kelsey Joens swiped two steals and freshman forward Jalynn Bristow rejected two shots.
The Bulldogs and Cyclones have shared a rich history as Iowa State leads the series by a 32-29 margin. Drake has lost the last two meetings with their most recent win coming in 2019. Last season's matchup in Ames was canceled due to inclement weather.
Scouting Iowa
Currently ranked No. 3 in the nation, the Hawkeyes have had a hot start to their 2023-24 season. Last season's national runner-up began the year with a 102-46 demolition of Fairleigh-Dickinson (Nov. 6) before edging past No. 8 Virginia Tech 80-76 at the Ally Tipoff in Charlotte, N.C. last night (Nov. 9).
Star guard Caitlin Clark has been as advertised to start the season with an average of 36 points per game through the Hawkeyes' first two. Clark scored 44 in Iowa's win over the Hokies. Forwards Hannah Stuelke and Sharon Goodman have also averaged double digits with 17.0 ppg and 11.5 ppg, respectively. Clark also leads Iowa with 8.0 assists per game.
The Hawkeyes' rebounding effort has been led by Sydney Affolter with 10 per game. Veteran guard Gabbie Marshall has also been stellar on the defensive end with a team high in steals.
Drake trails Iowa in their all-time series, 29-25. The Bulldogs have not beaten Iowa since an 81-76 nailbiter in Des Moines in 2016. The Hawkeyes' five-game winning streak including last year's 92-86 result in overtime at the Knapp Center.
Up Next
Drake's next outing will be a unique experience as the Bulldogs are set to host their own multi-team event. Louisiana Tech, Richmond, and Maine will visit Des Moines for a round-robin style weekend of games at the Vibrant Thanksgiving Classic from Nov. 24-26.
