Jaci McCormack scored 13 of her team-high 17 points during a second-half Illinois State comeback in which the Redbirds sliced a 23-point lead down to 10 in the second half, but Drake, with Carla Bennett scoring 25 points, held off the Redbirds and won 68-52 Saturday night at Redbird Arena.
Drake, 10-8, 5-4 in the Missouri Valley Conference, committed just eight turnovers after having 28 in a Thursday loss at Indiana State. Bennett got scoring assistance from JaNae Mosley with 15 and Maureen Head with 12.
Taking care of the ball was important to Bulldogs coach Lisa Stone, and patience in their offense was a key.
We were very patient, said Stone. Illinois State is a team which can make runs. I give ISU credit. They compete. They play hard to the end. Thats a credit to (head coach) Jenny (Yopp).
Illinois State 5-13, 3-6 in the Valley, shot 26 percent in the first half--just 7 of 27. Cold ISU shooting helped Drake build leads of as many as 14 points with Bennett owning the paint, scoring 11 before intermission. Drake led 29-15 heading into the final four minutes, but three-point baskets by Katie Donovan and Erin Keeney, plus defense which held the Bulldogs scoreless in the final four minutes, helped Illinois State trim that lead to 29-21 at intermission.
The Bulldogs expanded the lead in the second half by parading to the free throw line for eight attempts in the first four minutes, making seven at the start of the second half. Drake didnt get called for a foul in the first 9:26 of the second half and was whistled for just four in the first, pulling out to leads as high as 23 in the first six minutes after halftime.
McCormack had two steals, hit two three-pointers, a jump shot and a free throw in a three-minute span as the Redbirds sliced that lead in half. Stacey Whites three-pointer brought ISU within 52-41 with 9:24 left. A Bennett free throw and a Janae Mosley three-ponter built the lead back to 15, but McCormack nailed another three-pointer with 7:07 left, and the Drake edge was down to 56-44.
A McCormack free throw and a rebound basket by Sharon Blade cut the lead to 58-47 with 4:06 left. Bennetts jumper put Drake back up 13, but Taren OBriens driving basket and free throw sliced the DU edge to 60-50 with 3:26 left. Two free throws by Mosley had Drake up 62-50, but a McCormack assist to a streaking Donovan resulted in a layup with 1:51 left, cutting the lead to 10 again. The Birds would not get any closer the rest of the game.
Yopp thought the Redbirds could have taken better care of the ball. ISU had 18 turnovers to just eight for Drake.
I was frustrated that we werent taking care o f the ball, said Yopp. In the second half, we worked harder on offensive execution. But, on the flip side, we didnt get the stops we needed.
McCormack called upon her teammates to raise the bar in offensive execution.
Everybody has to step up, said McCormack. We have to realize that when they take away one option, theres still four more options.
The Redbird homestand continues with a Friday game against Northern Iowa at 7:05 p.m. in Redbird Arena.
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