DES MOINES, Iowa – Despite an early advantage after the first 10 minutes, Illinois State falls on the road to the Drake Bulldogs by a final score of 83-67 from the Knapp Center Saturday.
Mary Crompton scored a team-high 17 points while Abbie Aalsma gathered 12 points off the bench while Kate Bullman and Maya Wong scored 10 each, respectively.
Bullman's seven rebounds paced the team, while a quartet of 'Birds (Crompton, Bullman, Paige Robinson, and Jada Stinson) dished out two assists apiece.
The visitors held a nine-point (22-13) lead after the first 10 minutes were complete, but it was a 25-8 second quarter in favor of the Bulldogs that got the momentum fully on their side. At the break, it was the home team leading 38-30 as they looked to keep the ball rolling once the second half began.
Drake would build up a lead as big as 16 in the third quarter, before ISU worked to trim the lead as the margin stood at 15 with one quarter to go. In the final 10 minutes, almost every ISU response was answered by Drake as the lead grew out to 21 (74-53) with just under five minutes to go. The final five minutes saw the lead get no smaller than 16.
Drake was led by Anna Miller's 18 points while Maggie Bair had a 14-point, 14-rebound double double.
With the loss, ISU falls for the first time in a road MVC game, while dropping to 19-7 overall and 13-3 in MVC play. For Drake, the Bulldogs improve to 16-8 overall and 11-5 in MVC play.
TURNING POINT
Trailing by nine entering the second quarter, the Drake Bulldogs came out firing in the second quarter, as they scored six of the first 10 points in the quarter to trim the lead to seven (26-19) with 7:33 remaining.
The Bulldogs kept their pressure and high-motion offense rolling over the next four minutes of game play, as they would gather their first lead of the quarter with 3:50 remaining off a Grace Berg layup.
The Bulldogs would not relinquish the lead for the remainder of the game as they continued pressuring the Redbirds and holding the MVC's top team to only two points the remainder of the half.
IN THE BOX SCORE
- Tonight's game is the 89th time these two teams have met on the basketball court
- Drake now leads the all-time series between the teams 50-39
- The first Illinois State points of the game came with 9:32 to play in the first quarter on a Kate Bullman three-pointer.
- Illinois State's first sub was Ta'Shonna Wright-Gaskins with 7:00 to play in the first quarter.
- Illinois State led 22-13 after the first quarter; Drake led 38-30 at halftime; Drake led 61-46 after three quarters
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
- Mary Crompton
- 13th game in double figures this season
- 9th time scoring 15+ in a game this season
- Kate Bullman
- 9th time finishing in double figures this season
- Moves her ISU blocks total to 114, sitting solely in third place all-time
- Abbie Aalsma
- New career-high 12 points
- Most points in a game since she had 10 v. UC San Diego on Nov. 25
- Paige Robinson
- Held to her lowest scoring outing as a Redbird (2 points)
UP NEXT
The 'Birds begin their final home stand of the regular season as UIC comes to town Thursday. Tip-off from CEFCU Arena is set for 6:30 p.m. between the Flames and Redbirds.
For all latest on Illinois State women's basketball, stay tuned at GoRedbirds.com and follow the team at @RedbirdWBB (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram).
GoRedbirds.com and the Illinois State Redbirds App: Your sources for Illinois State tickets, Weisbecker Scholarship Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.
