DES MOINES, Iowa – Courtney Becker reached 1,000 points for her career and the Drake women's basketball team took care of business against the league's last-place team, rolling past Southern Illinois 82-40 at the Knapp Center on Thursday night.
 
The Bulldogs' seventh straight victory sets up a Senior Day showdown on Ron Pearson Court with Missouri State for the lead in the Missouri Valley Conference race. Drake (18-8, 12-3) is one game behind the Lady Bears, who held on to first place with a 75-72 overtime victory at Northern Iowa on Thursday night.
 
Becker, a graduate from Fountain City, Wis., flirted with a triple-double before finishing with 11 points, 12 rebounds and a season-high seven assists. She became the 38th Drake player and third member of this season's team to score 1,000 points, reaching the milestone with a late 3-pointer and running her total to 1,002.
 
Katie Dinnebier and Anna Miller also have scored more than 1,000 points. Dinnebier led the way Thursday night with 18 points on perfect shooting – 7-for-7 from the field including a 3-pointer and 3-for-3 at the free throw line. Miller finished with six points, four rebounds, two steals and a block.
 
Shannon Fornshell got the Bulldogs started with a 3-pointer less than 30 seconds into the game and wound up with nine points and three rebounds.
 
With Suzie Glazer Burt Head Coach Allison Pohlman able to substitute freely, the Bulldogs got major contributions from the bench. Freshman Maggie Taylor scored a career-high nine points, Ashley Iiams scored eight and Brooklin Dailey added seven.
 
The Bulldogs were sharp all night offensively, recorded assists on 23 of their 33 baskets and made 24 layups while outscoring the Salukis 54-16 in the paint. Drake shot 56 percent, made all but one of its 11 free throws and totaled 28 points off turnovers.
 
This was the 100th meeting between the two and the 42-point margin was Drake's largest in the series. SIU's 40 points were the fewest Drake has allowed in a league game this season.
 
Southern Illinois (4-20, 2-13), playing mostly freshmen and sophomores, shot just 28.6 percent and turned in over 18 times in losing to Drake for the 17th time in the last 19 games. Drake now leads the series 70-30.
 
Fornshell's game-opening three set the Bulldogs off on a 14-2 burst in the first few minutes. Dinnebier scored half of those points, driving for a layup, converting a 3-point play after posting up and sinking two free throws.
 
Another Dinnebier bucket after posting up made it 18-6 heading into the first media timeout. She got that basket on Becker's fifth assist of the game. Dinnebier returned the favor a short time later, setting Becker up for a lay-in that stretched the lead to 25-10.
 
The Bulldogs led 27-11 at the quarter break and just kept building the lead from there. Dinnebier, Taylor and Dailey hit consecutive 3-pointers to start a 13-0 run that made it 48-18 and Drake led 48-20 at halftime.
 
Drake started the second half with a 13-2 run that Dinnebier finished with two driving layups, the second on an acrobatic twisting shot underneath the basket that hiked the lead to 61-22. It was 69-28 heading into the fourth quarter and the only question that lingered was when Becker would top 1,000.
 
She had been stuck on eight points – one point short of the milestone – since the 9:36 mark in the third quarter. She finally reached it with her trey from the top of the key with 6:35 left, the ball bouncing off the rim and hitting and backboard before dropping through, drawing a roar from the crowd as the coaches and players on the bench leaped to their feet in celebration.
 
Becker, who achieved her second straight double-double of the season, will be honored following Saturday's game along with fellow seniors Dinnebier, Miller and Iiams. Tip off time is 2 p.m.
 
"Our attention to detail was something I was really impressed with," said Suzie Glazer Burt Head Coach Allison Pohlman. "[I'm] proud to hold this team to seven offensive rebounds and winning the battle on the glass. Just goes back to our focus during the week and executing the game plan…that's a sign of a really, really good team. Not only were we able to knock down shots, but we were able to take care of the ball. Did a great job managing things tonight."
 
The Bulldogs will remain at home to play Indiana State on Thursday, Feb. 27, then finish the regular season with road trips to UNI, Valparaiso and UIC.

 
NOTES

• Drake, winning its seventh straight game, improved to 18-8 overall, including a 12-3 record in the Missouri Valley Conference.
• This marks the 11th straight year Drake has won 18-plus games in a season.
• This marks the third straight year Drake has won 12 or more games in the MVC.
• It also marked Drake's 11th victory by double figures this season
• Drake shot 55.9 percent (33-59) from the floor, pushing its record to 7-0 when shooting 50 percent or better.
• Drake outrebounded Southern Illinois, 36-24.
• Drake scored 28 points off Southern Illinois turnovers.
• Drake's bench outscored Southern Illinois reserves, 36-1.
• Drake, which ranks sixth in the NCAA in assists (19.6 avg.), had 23 assists, marking the 14th game this season (including fourth straight) the Bulldogs had dished out 20 or more assists in a game.
• Drake never trailed in the game, racing to a 14-2 lead in the opening 3 minutes 26 seconds.
• Senior guard Katie Dinnebier led Drake with 18 points, including 14 in the first half.
• Graduate Courtney Becker enjoyed her fifth double-double of the season (in career) with 11 points and a game-high 12 rebounds, while becoming the 38th player to reach the 1,000-career point club at Drake with 1,002 points.
• Becker also collected a season-high seven assists.
• Becker's 12 rebounds marked her ninth double-figure rebounding game of the season. She logged her 10th career double-double.
• Senior Anna Miller grabbed four rebounds moving up to No. 8 on the Drake career rebounding list at 955, passing Rachael Hackbarth who had 953 from 2008-12.
• Drake has won 17 of the last 19 meetings —including the last five straight — against Southern Illinois to improve its series record against Southern Illinois to 70-30.
• The 42-point win was the widest victory margin by Drake in the series, bettering an 89-48 Bulldog victory on Jan. 18, 1997.