The Basics
The Drake University women's basketball team will travel east for its last two games of the 2023-24 season to play the Evansville Purple Aces on Thursday, Mar. 7, and the Indiana State Sycamores on Saturday, Mar. 9.
Bulldogs by the Numbers
Drake is entering its final two games leading the Missouri Valley Conference with a share of the MVC regular season championship at 24-5 overall and 17-1 in conference play. The Bulldogs are coming off a blowout win over Valparaiso 82-62 and are running on a nine-game winning streak which matches their longest of the year. Suzie Glazer Burt Head Coach's Allison Pohlman's squad can secure an outright league title with a win in one of their final two contests.
Katie Dinnebier leads the Bulldogs with her average of 18.0 points per game, 6.9 assists per game, and an .874 free throw free throw percentage. Dinnebier was recently named a finalist for the 2024 Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Award.
Grace Berg is also a key player with 16.9 points per game this season with an .815 free throw percentage. In addition, Anna Miller holds down the Dogs' interior with her 9.9 rebounds per game and .536 field goal percentage. Miller has recorded 14 double-doubles this season including five straight over Drake's last five games.
Scouting Evansville
The Purple Aces bring a 4-25 record overall and a 2-16 record in conference play. Evansville is currently on a five-game losing streak. The last time the Bulldogs played the Purple Aces was on Jan. 6, in the Knapp Center. Katie Dinnebier put up 17 points and 11 assists to help contribute to Drakes 78-68 win with the help of Anna Miller's 10 rebounds.
Freshman forward Nevaeh Thomas leads the Purple Aces with 15.3 points per game but has missed 10 of Evansville's 29 games this season. The first-year player is one of three double-digit scorers along with Kynidi Mason Striverson at 11.9 ppg and Maggie Hartwig at 11.6 ppg. Thomas and Hartwig also average over seven rebounds per game, just behind the team's leader Barbora Tomancova ith 8.1 rpg. Mason Striverson leads UE in assists with 3.9 per game.
Robyn Scherr-Wells is leading the Purple Aces into her third season at Evansville with a 23-66 record at UE.
Drake leads the all-time series with Evansville by a 52-14 margin. The Bulldogs have won 17 straight meetings dating back to 2015.
Scouting Indiana State
The Sycamores of Indiana State will host Drake in Terre Haute to round out the 2023-24 regular season slate. The Sycamores are 10-18 overall and 6-12 in conference play riding a two-loss streak going into the weekend. Drake made quick work of Indiana State in their earlier meeting, earning a 77-47 triumph in the Knapp Center.
Kiley Bess leads a foursome of double-digit scorers at 11.2 points per game. Mya Glanton, Chelsea Cain, and Belle Finnegan also log double figures at around 10.0 ppg. Glanton leads the Sycamores' rebounding effort with 6.9 boards per game. Cain joins Ella Sawyer as the only two Indiana State players to average multiple assists. Sawyer's 3.4 apg leads ISU.
Head coach Chad Killinger is in his third season at Indiana State with a 32-57 record during his time as a Sycamore.
Drake leads Indiana State in their all-time series, 64-24. The Bulldogs have won three in a row over Indiana State. The Sycamores' last win in the series came in 2021.
Up Next
Drake will start their march through the postseason at Hoops in the Heartland. The Bulldogs will seek to defend their MVC Tournament title.
