Hittner helps Bulldogs beat up on Salukis
DES MOINES — Two nights after losing a Missouri Valley Conference game for the first time in more than two seasons, the Drake women’s basketball team bounced back with their second-highest scoring performance of the winter.
Becca Hittner scored a game-high 30 points and the Bulldogs bullied Southern Illinois 94-66 on Sunday at the Knapp Center, rebounding from Friday’s home loss to league-leading Missouri State.
Drake (16-5, 8-1) shot a stunning 61 percent from the field (30-for-49) while going 27-for-36 at the free-throw line in the lopsided win. Sara Rhine added a double-double of 25 points and 11 rebounds for the Bulldogs, while Maddy Dean added 16 points and Sammie Bachrodt chipped in 11 points, six assists, five rebounds and three steals.
Payton McCallister scored 12 points off the bench to lead Southern Illinois (10-10, 3-6).
Drake hits the road this weekend starting with Friday’s game at Valparaiso.
Drake 94, Southern Illinois 66
At Des Moines
S. ILLINOIS (10-10, 3-6) — Brockmeyer 3-13 2-2 9, Nelson 4-10 0-0 9, N. Martin 4-8 1-1 9, Patrick 3-5 1-4 7, Silvey 2-13 0-0 6, McCallister 4-9 1-2 12, Van Hyfte 1-7 5-8 7, Hartman 2-4 0-0 4, Pudlowski 1-2 0-0 3, K. Martin 0-1 0-0 0, Claussen 0-2 0-0 0. TOTALS 24-74 10-20 66.
DRAKE (16-5, 8-1) — Monahan 1-1 0-0 2, Hittner 10-15 8-9 30, Dean 6-10 1-2 16, Bachrodt 4-6 2-4 11, Rhine 5-9 15-17 25, Rose 3-5 0-0 6, Miller 1-2 0-2 3, Wooldridge 0-1 1-2 1, Fuller 0-0 0-0 0, Burich 0-0 0-0 0, Negaard 0-0 0-0 0, Mertz 0-0 0-0 0. TOTALS 30-49 27-36 94.
S. ILLINOIS 16 21 9 20 — 66
DRAKE 22 24 22 26 — 94
3-Point Goals–SIU 8-25 (McCallister 3-4, Silvey 2-8, Brockmeyer 1-1, Pudlowski 1-2, K. Nelson 1-7, Patrick 0-1, Hartman 0-1, Claussen 0-1), Drake 7-17 (Dean 3-5, Hittner 2-5, Miller 1-1, Bachrodt 1-2, Rhine 0-1, Wooldridge 0-1, Rose 0-2). Rebounds–SIU 33 (Brockmeyer 9), Drake 40 (Rhine 11). Assists–SIU 16 (Patrick 6), Drake 22 (Bachrodt 6). Total Fouls–SIU 24, Drake 22. Fouled Out–Brockmeyer, N. Martin, Burich. A–3,683.