Box Score DES MOINES, IOWA – The Drake women's basketball team celebrated its return to the Knapp Center after four games away with a decisive victory.
Ava Hawthorne scored 18 points,
Katie Dinnebier and
Courtney Becker put up double-doubles and the Bulldogs rode a sizzling start to an 82-63 victory over North Dakota on Thursday evening. Hawthorne made 8-of-11 shots, including 2-of-3 from 3-point range, while coming within a point of her career high. She also came up with a career-best four steals while adding two rebounds and two assists in helping Drake (4-5) to its second straight victory after a five-game losing streak.
Dinnebier knocked down 5-of-8 3-point shots in scoring 16 points and handed out 13 assists, matching her high for the season and falling one short of her career best. The Missouri Valley Conference Preseason Player of the Year also had a season-high four steals.
Becker had 12 points and 13 rebounds for her third double-double of the season and
Anna Miller contributed 14 points, five rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks.
The comfortable margin allowed Suzie Glazer Head Coach
Allison Pohlman to substitute freely and 11 of the 13 players who saw action scored, including sophomore
Taedyn Gray, who made the first 3-pointer of her career.
Kiera Pemberton's 13 points led North Dakota (3-7), which lost for the seventh time in eight games. Drake held the Fighting Hawks to 39 percent shooting and forced 21 turnovers, which led to a 32-15 edge in points off turnovers for the Bulldogs, who outrebounded North Dakota 37-30 and had assists on 25 of their 31 baskets. The 25 assists matched their season high.
Drake led by as many as 23 in the first half before a lull at the end of the second quarter enabled North Dakota to draw to 40-30 at halftime. The Fighting Hawks cut the lead to 43-37 before Dinnebier's steal and pass to
Abbie Aalsma for a layup ignited a 14-2 run in just over 2 1/2 minutes that put the Bulldogs back in control.
Becker hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key and converted an old-fashioned three-point play on consecutive possessions, Dinnebier buried a 3 and then fed Hawthorne for a trey to finish the run, which made it 57-39.
Miller got two straight hoops inside and Hawthorne drove for a layup for a 63-41 lead heading into the fourth quarter, which Katie started with a triple from the top of the key to stretch the lead to 25. Drake enjoyed its biggest lead after Hawthorne rattled off six straight points in just 32 seconds, scoring on a reverse layup after an offensive rebound, another layup on a feed from
Peyton McCabe and a final layup after stealing the ball, making it 78-50 with 2:23 left.
The Bulldogs wasted no time asserting themselves, hitting eight of their first 12 shots in racing to a 20-2 lead while forcing two North Dakota timeouts.
Aalsma got it started with a 3-pointer from the left corner on a feed from Dinnebier and the lead quickly built from there. Katie found Miller and Becker for consecutive layups for an 11-2 lead, then knocked down back-to-back 3s for a 17-2 cushion.
The lead grew to 20-2 when Hawthorne rifled a crosscourt pass to
Grace Knutson, who buried the Bulldogs' fourth trey of the quarter from the left wing. Miller next got in on the long-distance act with the first of her two 3s in the game and Hawthorne nailed one from the right corner on pass from Dinnebier to stretch the lead to 27-8 before a North Dakota basket made it 27-10 at the break.
Drake made eight of its first 12 shots and went 6-for-9 from deep in the opening quarter. And the Bulldogs didn't stop there. Gray got the ball at the top of the key and, without hesitation, knocked down the first 3-pointer of her career. Another 3 from Dinnebier gave the Bulldogs their biggest lead of the opening half, 33-10.
North Dakota then began to find its footing and cut into the lead. Drake lead 40-20 after Dinnebier fed Hawthorne for a layup with 4:01 left in the half, but the Bulldogs did not score the rest of the quarter and the Fighting Hawks ran off the final 10 points of the period to trail 40-30 at the break.
Once the Bulldogs got rolling in the second half, there was no more doubt.
"It's great to be at home," Pohlman said. "I thought we were allowed to play tonight…we continued to get layups and started to finish those layups, which is a key to beating good teams. We were able to get some threes in transition, got some paint touches, just lighting the nets on fire. That gives you an edge in confidence. We've got to be able to maintain energy and consistency…make moves forward and keep getting better."
Bulldogs showed up on the court and in the stands as fans donated over 500 toys to Thursday's toy drive organized by the Foster SQUAD. Because of the fans' efforts, all foster children attending Saturday's holiday event will receive an age-appropriate gift. For more information, visit fostersquad.org.
Drake will return to action next Monday, December 16, in an 11 a.m. game against USC Upstate at the Knapp Center. The matchup vs. the Spartans will be Drake's annual Character Counts! Day as over 5,000 kids from around central Iowa will fill the Knapp to cheer on the Dogs.
- Drake won its second straight game and improved to 4-5.
- The Dogs tied a season high with 25 assists as a team.
- All 13 Bulldogs logged time on the floor.
- North Dakota scored just 10 points in the first quarter, marking Drake's best defensive period since holding Evansville to seven points in a win at the Purple Aces last season.
- Abbie Aalsma and Shannon Fornshell remained in the starting lineup for their third straight starts and first career home starts at the Knapp Center.
- Katie Dinnebier completed her eighth career double-double with 16 points and 13 assist.
- Courtney Becker also had a double-double, the sixth of her career, with 12 points and 13 rebounds.
- Ava Hawthorne led Drake's scoring effort with 18 points, one shy of her career best.
- Anna Miller rounded out Drake's double-digit scorers with 14 points.
- Drake will remain at home for its next game as they welcome USC Upstate on Monday, Dec. 16 for the Dogs' annual Character Counts! Day.
