The Basics
Drake women's basketball will conclude its 3-game homestand this week with a Thursday night bout against Valparaiso (Feb. 19) before welcoming UIC to the Knapp Center (Feb. 22). Drake's tilt with the Flames this Sunday will serve as the Bulldogs' Senior Day.
 
Bulldog Breakdown
With Drake's last win over Indiana State, Suzie Glazer Burt Head Coach Allison Pohlman reached a personal milestone of her own. Pohlman became the fifth coach in program history to reach 100 career victories. Pohlman was the second fastest coach in Drake history to earn 100 wins, only behind Bulldog legend Carole Baumgarten. She reached the feat one game faster than her predecessor, Jennie Baranczyk, and 20 games quicker than Hall of Famer Lisa Bluder.
 
Drake rookie Anna Becker was named MVC Freshman of the Week for the fourth time this season. She turned in another strong outing for Drake in the Bulldogs' Pink Game victory over Indiana State. The freshman guard scored 14 points on an efficient 6-for-9 shooting performance while adding seven rebounds in the 88-70 win. Becker is second on the team in scoring, averaging just over 11 points per outing this season.
 
Drake currently leads the league in rebounding margin and assists per game. Drake is third in the country this season with an assist on 70.8 percent of its made baskets. The Bulldogs have assisted on at least 70 percent of their scores in seven of the last 10 season. No other team has more than four.
 
Key Players
Abbie Aalsma | 14.8 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 2.8 apg
Anna Becker | 11.2 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 1.9 apg
Grace Knutson | 9.8 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 1.8 apg
 
Scouting Valparaiso
Valparaiso is staggering through their season with records of 0-26 overall and 0-15 in Missouri Valley action. Most recently, the Beacons dropped a pair of road matchups at Murray State (Feb. 13) and Belmont (Feb. 15). They managed just 37 points in their last time out at the Bruins.
 
Drake leads the all-time series with Valparaiso by a 19-3 margin. Valpo picked up one of its three wins in the series last year with a 66-65 result in The Region. Drake won this year's previous matchup on the road in January. The Bulldogs are looking to add to their 9-1 home record vs. Valparaiso. Drake is averaging 79.1 points per game against the Beacons.
 
Courtney Boyd is in her first season at Valparaiso. She has amassed a career coaching record of 180-94 with previous stops at Clarke and Quincy.
 
Key Players
Fiona Connolly | 11.5 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 1.5 apg
Allia von Schlegell | 11.5 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 1.2 apg
Milana Nenadic | 9.2 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 0.4 spg
 
Scouting UIC
The Flames of UIC are currently sitting at 11-14 overall and 6-8 in The Valley. UIC also dropped a pair of road games at Belmont and Murray State, including a 79-77 heartbreaker at the Racers, after beating Evansville in Chicago.
 
The Bulldogs lead UIC 11-2 in the all-time series between the two teams. Drake has won five straight meetings including a convincing 78-62 win earlier this season. The Dogs have never lost to UIC in Des Moines. Drake also averages 76.5 points per game against UIC.
 
UIC is coached by Ashleen Bracey in her fourth year at the helm. She has built a record of 63-65 in her stint with the Flames.
 
Key Players
Jessica Carrothers | 17.9 ppg, 3.8 apg, 3.5 rpg
Julia Coleman | 14.7 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 2.0 spg
TuTu Clayton | 8.8 ppg, 2.8 apg, 2.6 rpg
 
Up Next
The Bulldogs will go on the road for their penultimate road trip of the season. Drake is set to visit Evansville (Feb. 26) before rematching with Southern Illinois (Feb. 28) to end the month.