(Minneapolis, MN) The Drake University women’s basketball team led from start to finish in a 99-66 road win at Minnesota Sunday afternoon at Williams Arena.
Drake (2-2), which snapped a two-game losing streak, was led by Kierra Collier’s 24 game-high points. Collier added six assists and knocked down three three-pointers. It’s the second-straight 20-plus game for her after 25 points, a career-high 10 assists and made a career-best seven three pointers in the team’s last game against Iowa.
All five Bulldog starters scored in double figures in Minneapolis, including a pair of Minnesotans as Roseville, Minn. native, Monica Burich, had 13 points, six rebounds and four assists. Silver Lake, Minn. native, Maddie Monahan, scored 12 points and handed out six assists. Grace Berg chipped in 12 points while Allie Wooldridge rounded out the group with 10 points and added four assists. Wooldridge made a career-best six free throws.
Minnesota (1-1) was led by Jasmine Powell, who scored 22 points.
The Bulldogs started the game on fire making 6-of-7 shots, including three three-pointers for a 19-5 lead and forced an early Gophers’ timeout. Berg, Burich and Monahan all scored as Drake led 6-0 just 65 seconds into the game. Later, Drake held a 33-17 lead after one period as eight Bulldogs scored. After a slow start to the second quarter it closed strong for a 56-34 halftime lead.
Drake kept its foot on the pedal out of halftime holding Minnesota to just one point halfway through the third quarter while scoring 13 points. Berg, Collier and Monahan scored four, two and three points in the first 1:15 of the third quarter before Minnesota scored a point.
The Bulldogs led by as many as 42 points early in the fourth quarter as several of their reserves saw quality minutes. The big win snapped a two-game losing streak to the Gophers, the team scored the most points ever in the series against Minnesota and it earned its first win over the Gophers since 1988.
All 12 Bulldogs played, they all scored at least two points and the bench finished with 29 points. As a team, Drake shot 47.8 percent (32-of-67) from the floor, 50.0 percent (11-of-22) from three and a season-best 92.3 percent (24-of-26) from the free throw line. The team recorded 26 assists on its 32 field goals.
The Bulldogs’ other Minnesota native, Taylor McAulay, out of Lino Lakes, had four points and career-high six rebounds.
Drake is set to be back at the Knapp Center Thursday, Dec. 10 when Northwest Missouri State visits. Tipoff is 6 p.m.
