By: WJBC Staff

NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State women’s basketball team was defeated by first-place Drake, 87-36, in Missouri Valley Conference action Sunday on Doug Collins Court at Redbird Arena in the team’s annual “We Back Pat” contest.

In the first quarter, four different Redbirds scored the first nine points, as the Bulldogs (13-4, 6-0 MVC) led 11-9 in the early going. Drake then tallied the next five and pushed its lead out to eight, before Illinois State (4-12, 1-4 MVC) cut the deficit to 19-13, which would be the score at the end of the first 10 minutes.

But the second quarter was a different story. The Bulldogs rattled off 16 in a row to start the stanza and 26 of the first 28 points, before leading at the break, 47-20. Drake was unconscious from the field over the stretch, shooting 71.4 percent (10-of-14), including 6-of-8 from three-point range. The Redbirds, meanwhile, were just 3-of-14 from the field and 1-of-7 from behind the arc.

The Bulldogs eventually went on to outscore Illinois State, 40-16, over the final 20 minutes to secure their seventh victory in a row.

All 12 Redbirds played for the second game in a row, with nine scoring. Senior Brechelle Beachum and sophomore Katrina Beck both scored six points, while junior Hannah Green pulled down a game-high 10 rebounds and rejected a game-high three shots. Beck also tied a career high in blocks with two.

Illinois State finished the game shooting 22.8 percent (13-of-57) and was 4-of-33 from downtown. Drake, who entered the contest as the fourth-best shooting team in the country, finished at 53.1 percent (34-of-64), including a sizzling 13-of-20 (65 percent) from long distance. Every basket but six was credited with an assist.

The Bulldogs used their size to win the rebounding battle, 45-31, and outscore the Redbirds in the paint, 40-10. Illinois State forced 14 turnovers, but the Redbirds gave it up 19 times, which led to a 30-2 deficit in points off turnovers. Fourteen of the 19 turnovers were the result of steals.

Drake had four players score in double figures, with Lizzy Wendell leading the way with 17 points and five assists, while Sammie Bachrodt and Becca Hittner each added 12 points and three assists. Becca Jonas chipped in 11 points, a team-high seven rebounds, three assists and two steals. Bachrodt and Paige Greiner (nine points) both registered a game-high four steals, and Greiner and Caitlin Ingle, who entered the contest with the second-most assists in the country, each had five assists.

The Redbirds return to action Friday, Jan. 20, when they travel to Springfield, Missouri, to take on Missouri State in conference play, with tipoff slated for 7 p.m. inside JHQ Arena.