Box Score

DES MOINES, Iowa – Despite the Purple Aces’ 11-point lead in the first half, the hosting Drake Bulldogs stormed back to even the score at the half and stole a 67-53 win away from the University of Evansville women’s basketball team Saturday afternoon at the Knapp Center. The Aces fall to 4-13 overall and 1-5 in the Missouri Valley Conference, while Drake improves to 9-2 on the season and 3-2 in the MVC.

For UE, senior Briyana Blair recorded her fifth double-double of the season with 13 points and a team-high 14 rebounds, representing the most double-doubles in a single season since Jamie Gray logged 12 in 2003-04.

Junior Samantha Heck scored her 13th consecutive double figure game with a squad-high 16 points, also adding four rebounds and three assists. Classmates Meagan Collins and Taylor Ware added nine and six points, respectively. Playing in front of over 60 of her hometown friends and family, senior point guard Staci Gillum recorded five points, four rebounds, and two assists.

Evansville scored the first basket of the game, but Drake responded with five straight points. The Aces answered back, however, and went into the first media timeout with the lead as Heck knocked down a three from the edge of the half court logo as the shot clock expired to give UE a 7-5 advantage.

Amidst a 10-0 run, the Aces widened the gap to 12-5 on another three by Heck. Evansville continued to expand their lead to as much as 11 points, 24-13, with 6:42 remaining, following two layups apiece by Ware and Blair.

However, Drake’s leading scorer Rachael Hackbarth took command, piloting a 13-2 Bulldog run in the remaining minutes of the half. The post player scored Drake’s final seven points of the stanza, tying the score, 26-26, at the break.

Out of the locker rooms, the Bulldogs used an 11-2 run to keep the momentum flowing in their favor. Evansville cut the deficit to seven on Heck’s layup with 16:12 to go, but Drake built the lead up to 14 points twice in the next seven minutes.

The Aces made a run, sandwiching layups by Heck and Gilllum around Collins’ three to cut the margin to seven once again, 50-43, with 7:49 to go.

The Bulldogs went back up by 11, but with 5:55 remaining, Collins hit another jumper to get UE within eight. However, Drake expanded the margin to double figures on Hackbarth’s next layup and the Bulldogs held onto a 10-plus lead the remainder of the way.

Hackbarth finished with 21 points and 14 rebounds. Kyndal Clark (13 pts), Brittnye McSparron (12 pts), and Amber Wollschalger (10 pts) also reached double figures for the Bulldogs.

Shooting 47.2 percent, Drake narrowly outshot Evansville from the field with the Aces hitting 23-of-50 shots (46.0 percent). UE shot 21.1 percent (4-19) from three compared to Drake’s 14.3 percent (1-7). The largest difference came from the free throw line where Drake hit 16-of-23 attempts (69.6 percent), while Evansville took just seven shots from the charity stripe, shooting 42.9 percent.

Drake won the battle of the boards, 36-27, outscoring UE, 15-1, on second chances.

The Aces are back in action Thursday when they welcome Wichita State to the Ford Center for a 7:00 p.m. CT tip. Evansville will also host Missouri State Saturday at 2:00 p.m.