The Basics
The Bulldogs are set to open 2025 with a pair of home games in Missouri Valley
Conference play. Drake will host UIC (Jan. 2) and Valparaiso (Jan. 4) with hopes of
continuing their current 5-game winning streak.
Bulldog Bites
Drake has been on fire of late. The Bulldogs' win over Valpo marked the third time in
Allison Pohlman's tenure that the Dogs enjoyed a 7-game winning streak. It also marked the Bulldogs' 19th straight MVC home victory dating back to the 2022-23 season. In the Dogs' last game, Pohlman picked up her 80th career victory, joining every previous Drake women's basketball with at least that many victories.
Katie Dinnebier has had a sensational senior season. She has scored 30+ points in three of her last four outings and owns seven of the MVC's top eight single-game scoring efforts this season. She is in the top 20 nationally and second in the MVC with 20.3 points per game. Dinnebier's 7.2 assists per game and total 101 assists rank third and fourth in NCAA Division I this season, respectively.
Dinnebier has earned the last four Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week awards, making it five on the year. She and
Abbie Aalsma have been a dynamic duo from deep range this season. Both sharpshooters are ranked in the top 35 of Division I hoops in 3-point percentage with marks of .437 and .433, respectively.
Anna Miller's stranglehold on the Bulldogs' all-time blocks record has gotten even stronger. The senior forward currently has 252 career rejections. Miller leads The Valley and is fourth in the NCAA with 39 total blocks, and her average of 2.8 blocks per game is also slotted fifth nationally.
Miller and
Courtney Becker have led the Bulldogs rebounding effort to the top of the Missouri Valley Conference stat sheet this year. Those two are among the to five rebounders in the league and pace Drake's MVC-best 566 total boards, 10.4 rebounding margin, and 40.4 rebounds per game. Becker is closing in on the 1,000-point mark for her career. The graduate forward currently owns 878 career points and is looking to become the 38th player in program history to reach 1,000 points.
Bulldog Leaders
Katie Dinnebier | 20.3 ppg, 7.2 apg, 4.3 rpg
Anna Miller | 15.5 ppg, 8.9 rpg, 2.8 bpg
Courtney Becker | 10.5 ppg, 8.2 rpg, 1.9 apg
Scouting Bradley
Bradley has had a solid start to the 2024-25 season with an 8-6 overall record and 2-1 mark in league play. The Braves' eight wins have already surpassed their 6-win total from last season. Bradley is coming off a pair of MVC wins in their last outings including a 45-42 victory over Evansville and 65-52 decision over Indiana State.
Kate Popovec-Goss is in her third season leading the Bradley Braves. She has posted a 12-35 record over her tenure.
Drake is 69-18 all-time against the Braves with wins in the last seven meetings. The Bulldogs are 29-11 against Bradley on the road and will be looking to avoid their first loss to the Braves since Mar. 2021.
Brave Leaders
Soleil Barnes | 15.5 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 2.9 apg
Kaylen Nelson | 8.9 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 0.9 apg
Tamia Perryman | 6.9 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 1.4 apg
Scouting Illinois State
Illinois State also brings the same records of 8-6 overall and 2-1 in league play into the weekend. The Redbirds also took down both Indiana State and Evansville in convincing fashion last weekend after opening their MVC slate with a road loss at Murray State.
Redbird head coach Kristen Gillespie has amassed a record of 140-88 in her eight seasons at Illinois State. Including two previous stops, Gillespie is 245-153 for her career.
The Bulldogs own a 52-40 advantage in their all-time series with Illinois State. The Bulldogs won the most recent battle, but the two teams split the previous six matchups.
Redbird Leaders
Shannon Dowell | 15.6 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 1.6 apg
Nevaeh Thomas | 13.7 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 2.0 apg
Elyce Knudsen | 13.7 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 2.2 apg
Up Next
Drake will return home for dates with Belmont (Jan. 16) and Murray State (Jan. 18) at the Knapp Center. The latter game versus the Racers will be the Bulldogs' annual Pink Game.
