VALPARAISO, Ind. – Drake women's basketball got all it could handle from a spunky Valparaiso squad on Sunday afternoon. The Bulldogs overcame a slow start to leave northwest Indiana with a 66-56 victory.
 
Sunday's action got off to a clunky start as the neither team could take firm possession after the opening tip. Ava Hawthorne and Fiona Connolly fought for the rock as the ball rolled all the way over the baseline, giving the Dogs the initial control. The two teams then traded turnovers before Valpo got on board first with a 3-pointer from the right wing.
 
Lexi Carlsen retaliated on the other end with a traditional 3-point play, but the Beacons answered right back with two more long balls. Valparaiso, which entered Sunday's game without a win on the season, added another tally inside before Milana Nenadic swished another triple.
 
Drake (5-12, 4-3) did its best to claw back as the first quarter clock wound under a minute, but a Hawthorne three wheeled in and out, giving Valpo one final try. Mikayla Huffine sank a pair of free throws after a Maggie Taylor foul to give the winless Beacons an 18-14 lead after one.
 
Neither squad could crack the code in the early stages of the second quarter as both managed just one basket through the first four minutes of game time. Nenadic ended that dry spell for the Beacons (0-19, 0-8) with a hoop-and-harm, hoisting the hosts' lead back up to six.
 
That's when freshman Anna Becker started to make her mark. Becker, coming off a career best 22 points on Friday, scored four straight and picked a Beacon pocket on the other end before Taylor added another to trim the deficit to just one. Hawthorne eventually sized up a Valpo defender before connecting on a high-arching trey to give Drake its first lead of the afternoon.
 
Becker continued her heroic effort as the timer marched toward the half, converting an old fashioned 3-point opportunity to reach double figures for the day.
 
Drake held Valpo to just seven points in the second stanza to take a 33-25 lead at the break.
 
Peyton McCabe entered the second half starting lineup after efficiently facilitating the Bulldog offense down the stretch of the second quarter, and she got into the scoring column right away. McCabe maneuvered her way in amongst the post players for her first bucket of the game, which gave Drake a 10-point lead.
 
Becker later hit from deep range as she added to her standout effort, but Valpo was able to keep within striking distance after a Kayla Sullivan triple in transition. Sullivan and the Beacons went on a flurry late in the third period to get the difference down into single digits.
 
Hawthorne had another solid look at a buzzer beating shot, but it in turn rimmed off as the horn sounded. Drake led 54-45 after three quarters.
 
Valpo proceeded to trim the Drake lead further as the fourth frame began. The Beacons lopped off a point on a Nenadic freebie before the Canadian product came through again to make it a 4-point margin with just under seven minutes remaining.
 
The Bulldogs then ripped off a 6-0 spurt, capped by another Becker score inside after a feed from McCabe, to extend their lead back to 10 and force first year Valpo head coach Courtney Boyd to spend a timeout.
 
The Drake lead steadied between seven and 10 points as the 2-minute mark came and went at the Athletics Recreation Center. The Beacon faithful put all their positive vibes behind the brown-and-gold clad hosts, who held Drake scoreless for nearly the final three minutes of action, but the Dogs had just enough to keep Valpo from its first win of the year.
 
Becker and the Bulldogs held on for the 66-56 victory, snapping a 3-game losing skid.
 
"We would've taken a lot of pressure in several situations if we would've stepped up and made more free throws," said Suzie Glazer Burt Head Coach Allison Pohlman. "Still have to find our mojo back, because we are a good shooting team, but we need to know that it's going in…a confidence thing that we can shift back into that, and we'll get back to it next week."
 
Freshman Anna Becker notched her fourth career, and second straight, 20-plus point effort. Becker finished with 20 points to go along with six rebounds.
 
Maggie Taylor logged her fifth double-double, and second straight, double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. She also added three blocks.
 
Abbie Aalsma and Ava Hawthorne each notched eight points. Hawthorne had four assists, just one behind team leader Peyton McCabe's five.
 
The Bulldogs will return to Des Moines for their next two games starting with a Jan. 23 matchup against Evansville. Drake will tip things off with the Purple Aces at 6 p.m. in the Knapp Center.
 
 
Notes

• Drake improved to 5-12 overall this season and a 4-3 in the Missouri Valley Conference while snapping a 3-game losing skid.
• The Bulldogs are now 4-4 away from home this season.
• Drake shot 41.1 percent from the field, 26.3 percent from 3-point range, and 55.6 percent from the free throw line.
• The Bulldogs outrebounded Valpo 43-35.
• Freshman Anna Becker notched her fourth career, and second straight, 20-plus point effort.
• Becker finished with 20 points to go along with six rebounds.
• Maggie Taylor logged her fifth double-double, and second straight, double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. She also added three blocks.
• Abbie Aalsma and Ava Hawthorne each notched eight points.
• Peyton McCabe led the Bulldogs with five assists.
• Drake is now 7-2 all-time at Valparaiso and leads the all-time series with the Beacons by a 19-3 margin.