THE SERIES:
The Bulldogs will be meeting Quincy for the sixth consecutive time in the exhibition season with Drake having gone 5-0 in the previous five meetings.

PREVIEWING THE HAWKS
Quincy opens with the Bulldogs before traveling to face Iowa in an exhibition game Sunday, Nov. 2 in Iowa City. The Hawks finished last season with a 20-10 overall record, including a 14-5 mark in the Great Lakes Valley Conference. Quincy, who advanced to the NCAA Division II National Tournament last season, returns all five starters from a year ago. They are led by All-Conference performer Jessica Keller, who set numerous records last season. Keller, along with Lindsey Stellflue and Janette Burgin, averaged double-figures last season with 20.5, 13.1 and 10.5 points per game, respectively. The Lady Hawks were recently picked to finish second in the West Division in the Great Lakes Valley Conference Preseason Poll.

LAST TIME THEY MET
Led by a pair of 13-point efforts from senior Lindsay Whorton (Independence, Mo./Truman) and junior Ashleigh Brady (Lubbock, Texas/Frenship), Drake picked up a 79-57 exhibition victory over Quincy Thursday, Nov. 1, 2007 in the Knapp Center.

Joining Whorton and Brady with double-digit scoring nights was freshman Kristin Turk (Des Moines, Iowa/Lincoln) with 11 points off the bench.

The game proved to be a tight battle early as Quincy trailed by only four after a jumper by Whitnae Irby with 13:14 remaining in the first half. Drake had an answer as the Blue and White went on a 15-0 run fueled by five, four and four tallies from Whorton, Turk and junior Lauren Dybing (Bloomington, Minn./St, Croix Lutheran), respectively to assume a 30-11 lead at the 9:18 mark.

The Hawks cut the deficit to 10 on a jumper from Irby with 3:10 remaining before the half, but Drake rolled into the intermission holding a 47-29 advantage.

The lead swelled to as many as 27 in the final 20 minutes before the Bulldogs put a wrap on their exhibition campaign with a 79-57 victory.

The Bulldogs converted 21 Quincy turnovers into 31 points, while committing only 10 turnovers of their own. Drake outscored the Hawks in the paint by a 36-26 margin and posted a 30-13 advantage in bench scoring.

Drake finished the affair shooting 44.1 percent from the field, while limiting the Hawks to a 35.2 percent shooting mark.

Jessica Shuman directed all scorers with 22 points for the Hawks.

Senior Jill Martin (Norwalk, Iowa/Norwalk) and Dybing each added nine points to the Drake scoring attack, while Martin and redshirt sophomore Jordann Plummer (St. Louis, Mo./Cardinal Ritter) pulled down a team-high five rebounds.

Freshman Morgan Herrick (Cedarburg, Wis./Cedarburg) chipped in six points and four rebounds in her collegiate debut, while fellow freshman Danielle Ford (Naperville, Ill./Neuqua Valley) and Katie DeWitt (Lino Lakes, Minn./Centennial) also registered the first playing minutes of their respective Drake careers.

PROBABLE STARTERS
The probable starting line-ups for each team are listed below:

DRAKE TABBED TO FINISH THIRD IN MVC PRESEASON POLL
The Drake women's basketball team has been tabbed to finish third in the 2008-09 Missouri Valley Conference this season.

In the Valley's annual poll of coaches, sports information directors and media members, the Bulldogs garnered 297 points. Illinois State topped the rankings, receiving all 40 first-place votes and 400 total points. Creighton landed in second with 310 points.

The defending MVC regular-season champion Bulldogs return eight letter winners, including three regular starters and six players with starting experience, to a team that finished 23-11 last season and advanced to the second round of the NIT.

Rounding out the rankings is Evansville in fourth with 342 points, followed by Northern Iowa (245), Missouri State (215 points), Indiana State (166 points), Bradley (161 points), Southern Illinois (108 points) and Wichita State (47 points).

2008-09 Missouri Valley Conference Women's Basketball Preseason Poll
1) Illinois State (40) ? 400 points
2) Creighton ? 310 points
3) Drake ? 297 points
4) Evansville ? 251 points
5) Northern Iowa ? 245 points
6) Missouri State ? 215 points
7) Indiana State ? 166 points
8) Bradley ? 161 points
9) Southern Illinois ? 108 points
10) Wichita State ? 47 points

FASTBREAK LUNCHES
Drake will once again provide a unique glimpse into Bulldog women's basketball with the monthly Fastbreak Luncheons. The events will be held at Christopher's in Beaverdale from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Nov. 4, Dec. 9, Jan. 6 and Feb. 3.

UP NEXT
Drake faces University of Minnesota-Duluth in another exhibition match-up Thursday, Nov. 6, at the Knapp Center. Game time is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

Drake then opens its 35th season of intercollegiate basketball as the Bulldogs host Texas State in the Knapp Center Nov. 14. Drake's 2008 MVC Championship banner and WNIT Participation banner will be unveiled prior to the evening's action.