VALPARAISO, Ind. – The Drake women's basketball team improved to 14-7 overall and 9-4 in MVC play with a 71-54 victory over Valparaiso this evening. The Bulldogs' win completed the season sweep of Valpo and returned the favor after the Beacons did the same a year ago.
 
Senior guard Sarah Beth Gueldner led the Bulldogs with 15 points on 4-of-8 three-point shooting. Three other Drake players logged double figures including Katie Dinnebier with 13 on a perfect 3-for-3 night from beyond the arc. Dinnebier's 13 propelled her over the 500-career point mark.
 
Taylor McAulay and Grace Berg also scored double-digits with 11. McAulay also led all players with eight rebounds while dishing out four assists and nabbing three steals, both team highs.
 
Defensively, forward Anna Miller blocked two shots to lead all player. Her two rejections made history as she became the fastest player in Drake history to record 100+ blocks in just 55 games.
 
The game started with a three-point barrage from the Bulldogs as Dinnebier and McAulay hit back-to-back triple to get things underway. Gueldner joined in on the shooting spree just a few possessions later.
 
Despite the Bulldogs' early shooting success, Valpo was able to keep things close and took a 10-9 lead after a Berg offensive foul. Both teams failed to find a rhythm until a Courtney Becker three broke a 12-12 stalemate.
 
All but four of Drake's 19 first-quarter points came from beyond the three-point arc.
 
The Bulldog defense ruled the first half as the Beacons were held scoreless for the final 5:38 of the first period. Valpo's cold streak continued in the second stanza as Drake rattled off a 15-3 run over a 12+ minute span.
 
The Beacons were able to chip away towards the end of the second period but Drake regained momentum with a Dinnebier three-pointer off a Miller steal to five the Bulldogs a 20-point halftime advantage.
 
Valpo then scored first in the second half in attempts to cut into Drake's comfortable lead. The Beacons' effort was not enough, however, as the Bulldogs carried a 59-30 lead into the final quarter.
 
Drake's cushion became increasingly valuable in the fourth quarter as the offense sputtered. The Bulldogs did not score in the period until Gueldner completed an old-fashioned and-one with 6:21 remaining on the clock. Gueldner's hoop and harm gave Drake a 30-point lead, their largest of the game.
 
Valpo doubled Drake up in the fourth quarter, 24-12, but could not climb back into contention as Drake secured a 71-54 victory.
 
"We did a really good job making adjustments…but we found ourselves getting a little frustrated at times," Suzie Glazer Burt Head Coach Allison Pohlman said after the victory. "We shot the ball extremely well from beyond the arc. We had a couple instances where we forced it into the paint but our team did a phenomenal job moving the ball and being patient when getting it inside."
 
Drake will have another opportunity on the road this weekend with a matchup at UIC. The Bulldogs and Flames will conclude their season series on Sunday, Feb. 12 at 1 p.m.
 
 
TEAM NOTES

• Drake's won their second in a row and improved their records to 14-7 overall and 9-4 in the Missouri Valley Conference.
• Drake shot 10-of-22 from three-point range for a .455 percentage, their best of the year.
• Drake out rebounded Evansville by a 38-27. The Bulldogs are 13-5 when outrebounding their opponents.
• All 12 Drake players enters the game. 10 of Drake's 12 scored.
• The Bulldogs are now 2-2 when playing on Saturday's this season and 2-1 in the month of February.

 
INDIVIDUAL NOTES

• Sophomore forward Anna Miller blocked two shots to reach 100 rejections for her career. Miller became the fastest player in Drake history to record 100+ blocks in just 55 games.
• Katie Dinnebier was one of four double-digit scorers for Drake with 13. She eclipsed the 500-career point mark in the Bulldogs' win.
• Dinnebier also shot a perfect 3-for-3 from three against the Beacons.
• Sarah Beth Gueldner led the Bulldogs with 15 points on 4-of-8 shooting from three-point territory.
• Grace Berg and Taylor McAulay each added 11 points.
• McAulay also led Drake with eight rebounds, four assists, and three steals.
• Berg's night included a flawless 4-for-4 from the charity stripe.
• Maggie Bair scored just nine point but added six rebounds.
• Bair got closer to history as she is now just nine points shy of 1,000 for her career (991). 

THE SERIES

• Drake now leads the series with Valpo by a 15-2 margin.
• The Bulldogs are now 5-1 against the Beacons in Valparaiso.