DES MOINES, Iowa – The Drake University women's basketball team enacted revenge on Missouri State this evening with an 83-63 rout at the Knapp Center. The Bulldogs (18-9, 13-6) never trailed and built a lead as wide as 25 in their victory, evening the season series at 1-1.
 
The tandem of Maggie Bair and Anna Miller led the Bulldogs on both ends of the floor. Bair recorded her 10th double-double of the season with 20 points and 12 rebounds to go along with two assists. Miller chipped in with 18 points on a perfect 7-of-7 shooting night and stuffed the stat sheet elsewhere with eight boards, four assists, four blocks, and three steals.
 
Three other Bulldogs netted double figures as Grace Berg, Sarah Beth Gueldner, and Taylor McAulay all scored 10 points each.
 
The Bulldogs got going quickly with an 8-0 run over the first 2:16 of the game including six points in the paint and two more at the free throw line. Missouri State (19-9, 14-5) stopped the bleeding with a score of their own before an Anna Miller three led to a transition score from Taylor McAulay to put the Bulldogs on top 10-2 and force a Missouri State timeout.
 
The Lady Bears battled back after the timeout, rattling off a 9-0 run to get within three points before Drake regained their momentum. The Bulldogs then countered with another spurt of their own, outscoring Missouri State 12-4 through the end of the first period.
 
The Bulldogs led 28-17 after the first 10 minutes.
 
Bair joined Miller in double figures after her 10-point first quarter with a pair of three-pointers. Bair's two triples marked her third-straight game with multiple threes. Both Bair and Miller led the Bulldogs with 12 points apiece at the break. Miller scored her dozen very efficiently, shooting a perfect 5-for-5 from the field and 2-for-2 from the free throw line.
 
Drake took a few possessions to settle into the second half as Missouri State scored the first four points of the third quarter. Drake eventually extended their lead back out to 15 on back-to-back layups by Miller and Bair.
 
The Bulldogs eventually extended their lead to as many as 22 in the third period and took a 61-41 advantage into the final quarter.
 
The Lady Bears put up their best effort in the final period, matching Drake on the scoreboard with 22 points in the quarter. Despite Missouri State's increased effort in the final 10 minutes, Drake kept their foot on the gas and cruised to the 83-63 victory.
 
"To be able to set the tone [like that], we had the tip play going from the start," Suzie Glazer Burt Head Coach Allison Pohlman said after the Bulldog win. "The first quarter sparked the entire game for us. Really proud of our group tonight. Kudos to our coaching staff. We adjusted well and were able to defend them in our zone. We made decisions, our back line was phenomenal. It was impressive to watch everyone trust each other on the defensive end."
 
The Bulldogs will be back in action at the Knapp Center on Saturday, Mar. 4 for the regular season finale. Drake will host Southern Illinois at 2 p.m. with their annual Senior Day ceremony following the completion of the contest.
 
 
TEAM NOTES

• Drake got back in the win-column and improved its record to 18-9 including an 13-6 mark in the Missouri Valley Conference.
• Drake has won all 13 of its MVC games by at least 12 points.
• All 12 Bulldog players checked in to the game.
• Drake shot 56.9 percent from the field (33-58), improving its record to 10-1 when shooting over 50 percent from the floor this season.
• Drake out rebounded Missouri State, 41-26, improving to 17-6 when out rebounding opponents this season.
• The Bulldogs improved to 16-2 when scoring 80 or more points.
• Drake improved its record to 17-4 when leading at halftime this season.

INDIVIDUAL NOTES

• Maggie Bair led the Bulldogs with 20 points and 12 rebounds, her 10th- double-double of the season.
• Anna Miller stuffed the stat sheet with 18 points, eight rebounds, four assists, four blocks, and three steals.
• Miller went a perfect 7-for-7 from the field and 4-for-4 from the free throw line.
• Miller's assists and steals numbers matched her career bests.
• Three other Bulldogs scored in double figures as Grace Berg, Sarah Beth Gueldner, and Taylor McAulay added 10 points each.
• Katie Dinnebier led Drake with five assists.

THE SERIES

• Missouri State now leads the all-time series by a 51-45 margin.
• Drake's win over the Lady Bears snapped a nine-game losing streak in the series dating back to March 2019.