Drake Women’s Basketball Defeats Illinois State in Thrilling Quarterfinal
EVANSVILLE, IND. — In a nail-biting quarterfinal of the Missouri Valley Conference Women’s Basketball Tournament, Anna Miller’s decisive 3-point shot with just 28 seconds left propelled the Drake Bulldogs to a 75-69 victory against Illinois State at the Ford Center on Friday afternoon.
Advancing to the Semifinals
The Bulldogs, now 22-10 for the season, are set to face the top-seeded Murray State (23-7) in the semifinals at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, following Murray State’s dominant win over Bradley with a score of 86-50.
Outstanding Performances from Miller and Dinnebier
Anna Miller showcased her commanding presence on the court with 21 points and 10 rebounds, contributing four of the team’s 13 successful 3-pointers. Katie Dinnebier led the team with 22 points, while also adding five rebounds and four assists. Courtney Becker scored 12 points, and Shannon Fornshell made a notable impact with seven points and nine rebounds.
Drake’s Strong Comeback
Despite committing 16 turnovers, compared to just two for the Redbirds (21-12), Drake turned the game around. Shannon Dowell recorded a game-high 30 points for Illinois State, shooting 10-of-21 and 10-of-11 from the free-throw line. With the Redbirds leading 67-62 with 3:32 remaining, Drake rallied back, sparked by a Dinnebier three-pointer and six consecutive points from Miller, as Illinois State struggled with a shooting percentage of just 27.7% in the final quarter.
Closing Strong
Drake, which had once led the game by 11 points, finished strong, scoring 13 of the last 15 points to secure their victory. Head coach Allison Pohlman expressed pride in her team’s resilience, stating, “I’m so pleased with our maturity down the stretch. Finishing this game against a strong Illinois State team reflects our determination. We’re excited that March Madness has given us another day here in Evansville.”
Pursuit of a Championship
Drake is on a quest for its third consecutive conference championship, improving to 8-1 in MVC Tournament play during Pohlman’s third season at the helm. Dinnebier’s four assists brought her career total to 770, placing her second on Drake’s all-time assist leaderboard. She is also one of only seven players in Drake’s history to surpass 2,000 career points and the 12th in Missouri Valley Conference history to achieve this milestone.
Milestones for Miller
In addition, Anna Miller joined an elite group by becoming the sixth player in Drake’s history, and the fifth in the Valley, to reach 1,500 points and 1,000 rebounds, currently sitting at 1,512 points and 1,008 rebounds. This marks Miller’s 10th double-double of the season, as she also set a career-high with her four made 3-pointers.
Previous Meetings with Murray State
The Bulldogs will carry the weight of a split outcome from their two previous matchups with Murray State; after a tough 81-59 loss at home on January 18, they claimed a revenge victory with a 92-86 win at Murray on February 13.
