MURRAY, Ky. – The Drake University women's basketball team stormed back from a double-digit deficit to sweep the regular season win at Murray State this evening. The Bulldogs erased Murray State's early lead on the shoulders of star guard Katie Dinnebier's career-high 32 points.
 
The Bulldogs (19-5, 12-1) scored the game's first two buckets as Anna Miller drove in for a layup on a smoothly executed secondary break and Katie Dinnebier buried a trey on the next trip. Katelyn Young, Murray State's leading scorer who was honored before tip for eclipsing the 2,000-career point mark, got the Racers on the board.
 
Grace Berg continued the Bulldogs' hot start with a transition basket of her own off an Ava Hawthorne dish. The Racers (15-7, 8-5) kept pace, trimming an early Drake advantage to just one on a Haven Ford triple.
 
Murray State eventually took their first lead of the game at 14-13 on back-to-back scores by posts Ava Learn and Hannah McKay. Murray State rode their offense, the top-ranked scoring unit in The Valley, the rest of the period to a 20-18 margin in favor of the hosts.
 
Young and the Racers increased their full-court pressure as the second quarter got underway, forcing some discomfort on the Bulldogs' offensive end. The Racers' lead ballooned into double figures as another Young layup made it 31-18. Dinnebier eventually stopped the bleeding with a strong post move and finish before a smooth transition three-pointer.
 
Ashley Iiams got the deficit back to 10 with a fast break trey of her own with just over three minutes to play in the first half. The Bulldogs could not get it much closer as Murray State took a 42-33 lead into the halftime break.
 
Drake got the second half going with a deep three from Taylor McAulay for her first score of the game. Dinnebier answered with a physical finish after Anna Miller picked up her third block of the evening. Miller then put in a pair of free throws before Dinnebier splashed her third three-pointer to give Drake its first lead in over a quarter of action.
 
Ford and Young promptly responded with two quick buckets to put the Racers back on top, 47-43. Murray State survived the Bulldog scare and rebuilt their lead to seven before the third quarter media timeout.
 
The Bulldogs edged back in front on a traditional three-point play by Anna Miller after a pair of nifty passes from Megan Meyer and Brooklin Dailey. The lead did not last long as Young buried a couple free throws to continue the ebbs and flows of the second half.
 
Murray State held on to a slight 60-59 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
 
Iiams came through again just moments into the fourth quarter with another three points, this time of the old-fashioned variety. Iiams added the first of two-straight fast break scores, the second coming from McAulay, as a 6-0 run forced Murray State head coach Rechelle Turner to burn a timeout.
 
The two teams traded blows down the stretch as Drake led 71-70 when the clock ticked under four minutes remaining. After a Racer score, Grace Berg finished off a three-point play as she cut to the rim in a flash. The Bulldogs added to their short lead as time continued to wind down with a pair of Dinnebier free throws.
 
Murray State's was forced into fouling as the game time bled under 30 seconds. Dinnebier canned two more free throws to reach 32 points for the game, a new career best and the highest total for either team. Dinnebier also led all players with seven assists.
 
The Racers' Bria Sanders-Woods hit a corner three for her first points of the contest as Murray State kept it within two possessions. Drake's comeback effort was complete as a couple Murray State prayers went unanswered and the Bulldogs escaped with an 81-75 victory.
 
Anna Miller was Drake's only other double-digit scorer with 15 points while leading the team on the glass with nine rebounds. Miller also matched her season-high with five blocks. Ashley Iiams matched her career high with eight points while both Berg and McAulay added nine apiece.
 
"I'm really proud of our resilience and our fight," Suzie Glazer Burt Head Coach Allison Pohlman said. "We could have chosen to continue how we played in the first two quarters, but we came out of halftime and focused in and started playing like us…we looked like a completely different team. I loved our grit and tenacity today."
 
Katelyn Young led Murray State with a 20-point, 12-rebound double-double. Zoe Stewart added 17 off the the bench for the Racers.
 
The Bulldogs will continue their southern stretch with a trip to Nashville on Saturday. Drake is set to take on Belmont at 4 p.m.
 
 
NOTES
 

• The win improved Drake's record moved to 19-5 overall and 12-1 in the MVC.
• Drake improved to 8-3 on the road this season.
• Drake has now won at least four games in a row on three different occasions this season.
• The Bulldogs overcame a lead as wide as 12 in the victory.
• Katie Dinnebier bested her career-high scoring output with 32 points.
• Dinnebier's 32 points included four made three pointers, matching her career high. She also led all players with seven assists.
• Anna Miller added 15 points while narrowly missing a double-double with nine rebounds.
• Miller also matched her season-high with five blocks.
• Grace Berg and Taylor McAulay each posted nine points.
• Ashley Iiams equaled her career-high with eight points.
• Drake remained unbeaten against Murray State in four meetings.