DES MOINES, Iowa – Drake women's basketball moved to 2-0 for the second straight season after running away from Saint Louis in the second half. The Bulldogs used a 58-point effort over the final 20 minutes of action to secure a 95-70 victory over the defending WNIT champion Billikens.  
 
The night started with a pair of player recognitions as Anna Miller and Katie Dinnebier each received commemorative basketballs for reaching some historic milestones. Miller was honored for eclipsing the 1,000-point threshold in last year's regular season finale and for setting the program's career blocked shots record in Monday's season opener. Dinnebier received an ovation of her own for becoming the seventh player to record 500+ career assists.
 
The team also celebrated last year's MVC Championship with ceremonies pregame to reveal the title banner and postgame to distribute the Bulldogs' championship rings.
 
Drake (2-0) and Saint Louis went jab-for-jab in the opening period. The two teams had a couple empty possessions each before Ava Hawthorne started the scoring with a fast break deuce. Despite a lukewarm offensive output in the early going, the pace never relented. Abbie Aalsma eventually capitalized on a couple open looks with two threes in transition.
 
The Bulldogs held on to a 14-12 after the first 10 minutes of play.
 
Tierra Simon of SLU knotted the score at 14-all to start the second quarter. Simon spun around Katie Dinnebier on the block to bank one in before the Bulldogs' point guard gave it away on the other end. Drake bounced back though with a Hawthorne triple on the next trip.
 
Back-to-back buckets from Taedyn Gray and Courtney Becker later gave the Bulldogs their largest lead of the first half at 24-16. SLU's Brooklyn Gray answered right back with the Billikens' (1-1) second long ball of the evening to cut right back into Drake's lead.
 
Three pointers started raining down on both ends as the first half clock ticked under two minutes. Saint Louis guard Shun'teria Anumele, who tallied 16 points in the first half and 26 for the game, hit two in a row while Drake's Ashley Iiams and Anna Miller both cashed in from deep. Miller splashed again from the top of the key with 35 seconds to play. The bucket broke a stalemate as the Dogs led 37-34 at the half.
 
Freshman sharpshooter Grace Knutson scored her first points of the night on Drake's first possession of the second half. Knutson whipped around a pin down screen and swished a three from the wing. Miller added another three-pointer just a few minutes later, this time of the traditional variety. Becker then went rim-to-rim for a transition score to give Drake a 7-point advantage and force a Saint Louis timeout.
 
The Bulldogs kept their run going after the pause as Hawthorne scored five straight including a shot clock buzzer beating three and a fast break lay-in. Those consecutive scores got Ava into double figures and gave the junior a new career high scoring output. Aalsma also got into double digits in the third period on a curling layup with an assist from Hawthorne.
 
Drake turned up their defensive pressure to close the third stanza and benefitted with a lightning fast 6-0 in under 30 second of game time. The Bulldogs led 66-58 at the start of the final quarter.
 
Miller eventually gave Drake a lead of 14 points midway through the fourth quarter with her third three-pointer of the night and a streaking layup. Aalsma added to Drake's run with a putback two to extend the Bulldog advantage to 16. Saint Louis had no real answer as Drake pulled away down the stretch. The Bulldogs emptied their bench en route to a 95-70 win.
 
"Really strong second half…just impressive," said Suzie Glazer Burt Head Coach Alliaon Pohlman. "A tribute to our team for how well we shot the ball, especially in the fourth quarter. We haven't been coming out and starting well, so we need to get that figured out, but I'm so, so proud of our squad. Our depth is an amazing positive. We got some phenomenal minutes off the bench, just a great team effort."
 
Anna Miller again poured in 20+ with a team high 24 points, just one shy of her career high. She also grabbed nine rebounds to lead the game while Katie Dinnebier dished out the same number of assists. Elsewhere, Ava Hawthorne scored a career best 19 points on a career high four threes while Courtney Becker and Ashley Iiams each added a dozen.
 
The Bulldogs have their work cut out for them over the next three weeks with a non-conference gauntlet. Drake will travel to No. 21 Creighton on Monday (Nov. 11) before returning home to host Iowa on Nov. 17. Their tough three-game stretch then goes back on the road for a tilt at top-10 Iowa State on Nov. 24.
 
 
NOTES

• Drake has won nine of its last 10 home openers dating back to the 2015-16 campaign, including its last four straight.
• This also marked Drake's fourth straight non-conference home victory.
• This was also the second straight year Drake has started the season with a 2-0 record.
• Drake shot 49.3 percent from the floor (33-67), including a sizzling 62.5 percent (20-32) in the second half.
• The Bulldogs hit 66.7 percent (12-18) in the third quarter.
• There were four ties and six lead changes in the game before Anna Miller's three-point play with 35 seconds left gave the Bulldogs a 37-35 lead they never relinquished.
• The Bulldogs made a season high 13 three-point baskets, tripling their effort in the season opener at NDSU.
• Drake collected 25 assists.
• 10 of the 13 players who suited up for Drake scored points.
• Drake scored 13 points off 11 Saint Louis turnovers.
• Drake outrebounded Saint Louis 43-27.
• Senior forward Anna Miller enjoyed her seventh career 20+ scoring game with a team-high 24 points (one shy of a career high) while grabbing a game high nine rebounds.
• Miller made a career high three treys.
• Miller also scored all 10 of her first half points in the final 3:16 of the second quarter on two three-pointers and four free throws.
• Junior guard Ava Hawthorne added a career high 19 points (previous best was just nine) while making a career high four triples.
• Grad forward Courtney Becker and senior guard Ashley Iiams added 12 points apiece.
• Senior guard Katie Dinnebier, who was named to the John R. Wooden Award Preseason Top 50 Watch List prior to the game, played a solid floor game with nine assists and a team high three steals.
• Drake, winning its fifth straight game against the Billikens, improved its series record to 6-2 against Saint Louis.
• The Bulldogs own a 4-0 record against Saint Louis when playing in the Knapp Center.
• Drake travels to No. 21 ranked Creighton on Monday before returning home No. 17 to host Iowa.