FARGO, N.D. – The Drake women's basketball team started their 2024-25 campaign on Monday afternoon with a true road test. The Bulldogs traveled to Fargo, N.D. for a clash with the Bison of North Dakota State and overcame a 15-point deficit to secure an 84-78 victory.
 
Anna Miller banked in the Bulldogs' first score of the season after Drake earned the opening tip. Miller then turned around and notched her first block of the year on NDSU's first possession. Miller entered the day just five blocks shy of tying the Bulldogs' career record and did just enough to set a new standard. The Rochester, Minn. native logged six blocks to reach 219 for her career and surpass Tammie Blackstone in the Drake record books.
 
The Drake offense sputtered over the next few possessions as the Bulldogs were held scoreless for over three and a half minutes. That cold streak ended when Miller crashed the offensive glass hard and put one back up and in. Her bucket was answered with a triple by NDSU's Molly Lenz, the first three of the game for either side. Abbie Aalsma later cashed in with the Bulldogs' first triple to get the visitors into double figures.
 
Aalsma connected on another trey with under a minute left in the period, but the Bison were able to build a 22-16 lead after the first 10 minutes of play.
 
The Bison lead lurched up to 10 points early in the second quarter as Marisa Frost dropped in a floater. The difference grew to as many as 15 points midway through the period, but the Bulldogs started to chip away. Back-to-back scores by Courtney Becker and Anna Miller, plus a pair of Miller free throws, shrunk the deficit back under 10. Two more Miller freebies added to Drake's 7-0 run.
 
Despite the Bulldogs' uptick in efficiency towards the end of the half, North Dakota State still led 46-36 at the break.
 
The two teams traded blows as the second half got underway, but the Bison were able to inch ahead further and re-extend their lead to 12 points. An Anna Miller block, her third of the game to that point, led to a transition two from Courtney Becker followed by two Katie Dinnebier free throws to cut the margin to eight with just over five minutes remaining in the period. An old-fashioned three-point play from Aalsma bookended the mid-period media timeout and cut into the lead further, making it 51-46 in favor of NDSU.
 
Anna Miller continued her red-hot outing on the Bulldogs' next trip down the floor with a hoop and harm of her own. The freebie did not fall, but Drake trailed by just three points. North Dakota State was able to manage the Bulldogs' furious charge back into contention and led 61-56 after three.
 
Drake trimmed their deficit to one point in the early stages of the fourth as Katie Dinnebier slashed down the lane for a deuce, which also got her into double figures on the afternoon. Dinnebier then assisted Shannon Fornshell on a long two off glass to knot the score at 63 apiece, but Leah Mackenzie promptly buried a corner three on the very next trip for the Bison to shift the lead back to the hosts.
 
Courtney Becker eventually gave Drake its first lead since the opening score on a free throw and assisted an Abbie Aalsma triple on the next possession. The Dogs kept their comeback effort going with a 15-0 blitz over the next three minutes to build a 77-66 advantage.
 
The Bulldogs staved off a reeling Bison club down the stretch to secure the 84-78 comeback victory and begin the 2024-25 season with a victory.
 
"I'm proud of our grit and our toughness, especially in the second half," Suzie Glazer Burt Head Coach Allison Pohlman said. "[Our] defensive effort really spurred things. So much credit to our coaching staff for mixing up our defense and us being able to vary that gave NDSU problems. I just loved our resilience."
 
Anna Miller posted a double-double for the Bulldogs with 22 points, 13 rebounds, and added her record-setting six blocks. Katie Dinnebier added 19 points after a slow start but also led Drake with six assists. Courtney Becker and Abbie Aalsma both notched double-figures with 13 and 12, respectively, while Becker corralled nine boards.
 
Drake is set for their home opener this coming Thursday as Saint Louis will visit Des Moines. The Bulldogs will unveil their championship banner and distribute championship rings from last season's MVC title.
 
 
NOTES

• Drake improved to 4-0 in season-opening games during the four-year coaching tenure of Allison Pohlman.
• The Bulldogs have also won their last 10 season openers. Drake's last debut loss came vs. South Dakota to start the 2014-15 campaign.
• Drake out-assisted NDSU, 15-11, and out-rebounded the Bison 38-34.
• Senior Anna Miller logged a double-double with 22 points and 13 rebounds to go along with six blocks.
• Miller's six rejections launched her into first all-time on the Bulldogs' blocked shots record list (219).
• Miller also made eight free throws on 11 attempts, both career highs.
• Newcomer Abbie Aalsma netted 12 points including three triples.
• Courtney Becker had 13 points and narrowly missed a double-double with nine rebounds.
• Despite a slow start, Katie Dinnebier turned it on down the stretch, ending Monday's outing with 19 points and a team-high six assists.
• Drake returns to the Knapp Center for its home opener on Thursday as the Saint Louis Billikens come to Des Moines. The Bulldogs will be unveiling their 2023-24 MVC Championship banner and distribute last season's championship rings following the contest.