DES MOINES, Iowa – The Drake women's basketball team capped off the home portion of its regular-season schedule with a record-breaking first half that carried over to a 107-86 romp past over Indiana State at the Knapp Center on Thursday night.
 
The Bulldogs kept their composure while Indiana State got off to a sizzling start and took control once the short-handed Sycamores cooled down to earn a decisive bounce-back victory after Saturday's disappointing overtime loss to Missouri State.
 
Playing what could be her final game at the Knapp Center, senior Katie Dinnebier topped 30 points for the nation-leading eighth time this season, scoring 35 to propel Drake (19-9, 13-4) to its eighth victory in the last nine games.
 
She had plenty of help in this one. Dinnebier, Abbie Aalsma, Courtney Becker and Anna Miller all reached double figures in the first half as Drake took a 59-49 lead. The 59 points were the most ever by a Drake team in the opening half of a game. It's the third time this season the Bulldogs have scored 50 or more points in a half and they first time they reached the century mark in a game since a 107-98 victory over Murray State on Jan. 21, 2024.
 
Dinnebier, topping 30 points for the third time in the last four games, hit four 3-pointers and a variety of layups in going 12-for-19 from the field. She also handed out 10 assists for her seventh double-double of the season, grabbed six rebounds and made two steals.
 
Becker finished with 20 points on 9-for-11 shooting and Aalsma scored 16, making 6-of-8 shots with four treys and handing out a career-high six assists. Miller wound up with 14 points, eight rebounds, three assists and three blocks as the Bulldogs finished with a season-best 28 assists and shot 59.2 percent.
 
Freshman Maggie Taylor matched her career high with 11 rebounds in 12 solid minutes and scored two points.
 
All this came about after Indiana State (4-24, 2-15), with only eight active players, stunned the Bulldogs by scoring the game's first nine points and rocketing to a 22-11 lead in the first 4 1/2 minutes. The Sycamores were 8-for-11 with four threes at that point and looked nothing like a team that had won only four games.
 
Then Dinnebier went to work, accounting for 10 straight Drake points to pull the Bulldogs to 22-21. She started that run with a layup, hit a three from the top of the key, fed Brooklin Dailey for a layup and then buried another triple from the same spot to get the Bulldogs back into it.
 
The points just kept coming as the two teams matched each other basket for basket. The wild opening quarter ended with Indiana State leading 35-33 and shooting 68.4 percent (13-of-19). Drake shot 60 percent in the quarter and Dinnebier scored 17 points, yet the Bulldogs still trailed.
 
Indiana State stretched its lead to 42-35 and was up 47-43 before the Bulldogs finished the half with a flourish, outscoring the Sycamores 16-2 and holding them scoreless the final 3:23 of the half to open that 59-49 lead.
 
Dinnebier finished the half with 21 points, Aalsma had 14, Becker 12 and Miller 10. Indiana State missed its final five shots of the half and seven of the last eight and never regained its touch. After that hot opening quarter, the Sycamores shot just 35 percent the rest of the way and finished at 43 percent.
 
Three straight baskets from Shannon Fornshell and a Becker layup pushed Drake's lead to 69-53 and the Bulldogs stayed ahead by double figures the rest of the way.
 
The closest Indiana State got was 79-69 with 2 minutes left in the third quarter. Eighty seconds later, the Bulldogs were up by 19 thanks to nine straight Dinnebier points. She converted a 3-point play off a driving layup, knocked down a three from the top of the key, then converted another 3-point play off a slick reverse layup that drew a roar from the crowd.
 
Drake led 88-73 going into the final quarter and the only question that remained was when the Bulldogs would reach 100. They got there on Peyton McCabe's free throw with 4:49 left. By then, all the Drake starters were watching from the bench.
 
"The first quarter was exciting, kind of wish it was a little less so, but we fought, we battled, especially when Indiana State was able to build their early lead," said Suzie Glazer Burt Head Coach Allison Pohlman. "We dug our feet in the sand…I was pleased with our depth shining through. A lot to learn from today but proud of our squad to get a win like this in the Knapp Center. We just needed to hit the reset button and we did. Credit to Indiana State, they came in ready to play…a testament to how deep the Missouri Valley Conference is."
 
Indiana State got 24 points each from Savannah White and Keslyn Secrist and 22 from Bella Finnegan.
 
With Missouri State's loss at Murray State on Thursday night, the Bulldogs now trail the league-leading Lady Bears by only one game.
 
Drake finishes the season with three road games, starting Saturday at Northern Iowa. Tip-off time is set for 2 p.m. in the McLeod Center.
 
 
NOTES

• Drake improved to 19-9 overall including a 13-4 record in the Missouri Valley Conference.
• Drake closes out the regular season home schedule with a 10-4 mark, including a 7-3 MVC home record.
• Drake shot 59.2 percent (42-71) from the floor, improving to 8-1 when shooting 50 percent or better.
• This marked the first time Drake scored 100 or more points in a game since beating Murray State, 107-97, Jan. 21, 2024, in Des Moines.
• The 59 points broke the previous school mark for most points in a first half of 58 against Evansville Feb. 9, 2018, and it was the sixth highest for any half school history.
• It marked the third time this season Drake has scored 50 or more points in a half this season with the Bulldogs tallying 58 points in the second half against Saint Louis Nov. 7, 2024, and 52 points in the second half at Murray State Feb. 13, 2025.
• Drake's 33 first-quarter points were a season high, surpassing 27 points at Illinois State.
• Indiana State's 35 points in the first quarter were the most allowed by Drake to an opponent.
• Drake's bench outscored by Indiana State's reserves, 16-6.
• Drake, which ranks fifth in the NCAA in assists (19.7 avg.), had a season-high 28 assists, marking the 16th game this season (including sixth straight) the Bulldogs had dished out 20 or more assists in a game
• There was one lead change and five ties in the game.
• Senior guard Katie Dinnebier, playing in her final regular season home game, enjoyed an NCAA season-high eighth 30-plus scoring game of the season with 35 points - including 21 in the first half.
• Dinnebier also recorded her seventh double-double of the season (13th in career) with 35 points and a game-high 10 assists.
• Dinnebier made four three-point baskets, marking the 10th time this season she has made four-plus treys in a game
• Dinnebier has the most 30-point scoring games by any player in the NCAA women's basketball this season at eight, surpassing Florida State's Ta'Niya Latson who has seven 30-plus scoring games this year.
• Dinnebier is the only player in the Missouri Valley Conference since the 2002-03 season to score 30 or more points in eight games in a season. 
• During a 6-minute, 47-second stretch in the first quarter (8:12 to 1:25) Dinnebier scored 17 points for Drake.
• Dinnebier moved up to No. 3 on the Drake career free throw made list with 507, passing Becca Hittner who had 503 from 2016-20.
• Dinnebier remains No. 10 on the Drake career scoring list with 1,898 points, 30 points away from passing Jill Martin (2003-08, 1928 points) for No. 9 on the school career scoring list.
• Dinnebier also ranks No. 9 on the Drake career made four three-point basket list at 211 and No. 3 on the school career assists list at 746.
• Graduate Courtney Becker recorded her third career 20-plus scoring game (all this season) and her sixth straight game in double figures with 20 points and five rebounds for Drake.
• Freshman Maggie Taylor matched a career high with 11 rebounds
• Junior Abbie Aalsma chipped in with 16 points and a career-high six assists.
• Senior Anna Miller added 14 points and eight rebounds.
• Freshman guard Peyton McCabe tied a career high with four assists.
• Drake has won 16 of the 17 meetings, including the last six games, to improve its lead in the series 67-24.
• Drake owns a 38-6 home record against Indiana State.