The Basics
Drake women's basketball will take the floor in the Knapp Center after nearly a month
away from home. The Bulldogs' next two games feature matchups against North
Dakota (Dec. 12) as the opening game of a holiday double-header. Drake's
men's team will cap Thursday night's action with a battle against St. Ambrose. The
Drake women will then host USC Upstate on (Dec. 16) for their annual Character
Counts! Day.
 
Bulldog Bites
Drake went 1-2 at the San Juan Shootout in Puerto Rico with losses to Wyoming and Green Bay and a victory over Washington State in the finale. The Bulldogs have had a week off after going 1-2 at the San Juan Shootout. Drake is now 51-41 all-time in games played at MTEs.

Drake's 3-5 start is its worst since beginning the 2020-21 season with the same win-loss tally. The Bulldogs finished that year 18-12 overall and 13-5 in MVC play.
 
Anna Miller's stranglehold on the Bulldogs' all-time blocks record has gotten even stronger. The senior forward currently has 241 career rejections and is tied for sixth in the NCAA with 28 blocks this season. Her average of 3.5 blocks per game is good enough for third in the nation. Miller has also been cleaning up the glass this season with a Missouri Valley Conference best 75 total rebounds this season.
 
Drake guard Katie Dinnebier has again been one of the premier distributors in the country with 53 assists this season, good enough for 23rd in the NCAA. While not climbing the all-time list any further, Katie Dinnebier did make history in the Dogs' battle with Washington State as she became the 10th player in program history to record 200+ career steals. Dinnebier has been the MVC's ironman so far this season with a conference-high 285 minutes. The preseason Player of the Year averages just over 35 minutes per game.
 
Illinois State transfer guard Abbie Aalsma has been a welcome addition to the Drake roster as one of the Bulldogs' most consistent perimeter players. She finished Drake's MTE stint with 19 points and five made triples in a win over Washington State.

Bulldog Leaders
Katie Dinnebier | 18.5 ppg, 6.6 apg, 3.9 rpg
Anna Miller | 16.3 ppg, 9.4 rpg, 3.5 bpg
Abbie Aalsma | 10.3 ppg, 2.1 apg, .477 3pt%
 
Scouting North Dakota
The Fighting Hawks are currently 3-6 on the season and split their last two games as part of the Summit League-Big Sky Challenge. North Dakota is looking to bounce back after a 65-47 loss at Northern Colorado last weekend after a snapping a 5-game losing streak with a 73-69 win over Weber State.
 
Mallory Bernhard is in her fifth season coaching her alma mater North Dakota Fighting Hawks. She has led UND to a 48-74 record in her five campaigns.
 
All-time, the Bulldogs lead their series with North Dakota by a 7-2 margin with three wins in a row. North Dakota is seeking its first win over Drake since a 2012 win in Grand Forks.

Fighting Hawk Leaders
Kiera Pemberton | 14.7 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 1.2 spg
Mikayla Aumer | 11.0 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 1.6 apg
Jocelyn Schiller | 9.4 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 3.3 apg

Scouting USC Upstate
USC Upstate will bring a 2-9 record into next Monday's matchup in Des Moines. The Spartans have lost four straight games including defeats in their own MTE and road losses at Iowa State and Kansas State to start the month of December. The Spartans two wins came over non-Division I opponent Clinton College and at in-state rival South Carolina State.

UNC Upstate is led by head coach Jason Williams in his third year at the helm. Williams has amassed a 29-45 record leading the Spartans and has a 200-136 overall mark after a successful 9-year stint at NCAA Division II Belmont Abbey.
 
Monday's game will be the first-ever meeting between Drake and USC Upstate. It will also be the Bulldogs' annual Character Counts! Day as the Knapp Center will be filled with area kids excited to cheer on the Dogs.

Spartan Leaders
Rebekah Gordon | 10.1 ppg, 9.6 rpg, 1.2 apg
Cassie Gallagher | 7.9 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 0.5 bpg
Jeni Levine | 7.9 ppg, 3.8 apg, 2.5 rpg
 
Up Next
The Bulldogs will finish 2024 with a pair of road contests at St. Thomas on (Dec. 21) before closing the calendar with their first MVC matchup of the year at Evansville (Dec. 29).