PROBABLE STARTERS

Drake Bulldogs
No. - Player - P - Ht. - Cl. - PPG - RPG - APG - FG% - FT%
21 - Jordann Plummer - G - 5-6 - RJr. - 10.8 - 4.8 - 2.0 - .450 - .824
23 - Kristin Turk - G - 5-8 - So. - 12.2 - 2.2 - 0.8 - .407 - .900
35 - Kaniesha Agee - G - 5-8 - Jr. - 0.8 - 2.4 - 2.4 - .333 - .000
32 - Lauren Dybing - F - 6-3 - Sr. - 10.4 - 4.8 - 1.0 - .459 - 1.000
44 - Morgan Herrick - F - 6-0 - So. - 5.2 - 2.6 - 0.2 - .688 - 1.000

Top Reserves
4 - Ashleigh Brady - G - 5-10 - Sr. - 6.6 - 1.2 - 0.4 - .591 - .778
14 - Brittnye McSparron - G - 5-5 - Fr. - 5.0 - 1.6 - 1.6 - .500 - .500
15 - Rachael Hackbarth - F - 6-2 - Fr. - 3.4 - 4.6 - 0.8 - .421 - .125
24 - Kelsey Keizer - F - 6-2 - Sr. - 1.4 - 4.0 - 1.0 - .375 - .250
45 - Monique' Jones - F - 5-10 - Jr. - 3.0 - 1.8 - 1.5 - .150 - 1.000
Coach: Amy Stephens, sixth season, 87-74

Coppin State
No. - Player - P - Ht. - Cl. - PPG - RPG - APG - FG% - FT%
2 - Shinaa Cross - G - 5-9 - Fr. - 7.8 - 7.2 - 0.7 - .358 - .643
11 - Shante Cummings - G - 5-9 - So. - 7.3 - 5.5 - 0.5 - .415 - .900
30 - Danielle Anders - F - 5-11 - Sr. - 8.2 - 2.2 - 3.7 - .351 - .471
32 - Jennifer Martin - F - 6-0 - Sr. - 5.5 - 2.2 - 2.0 - .310 - 1.000
34 - Whitney Cunningham - C - 6-3 - Sr. - 11.7 - 13.0 - 1.5 - .580 - .500
Coach: Derek Brown, 10th season, 156-110

THE GAME
Drake women's basketball looks to extend its winning streak to three, hosting 2008 NCAA Tournament participant Coppin State Tuesday (Dec. 2). Tip-off is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. KRNT (1350 AM) will carry the broadcast, with the pre-game show beginning at 6:30 p.m.

THE SERIES
This is the first meeting between Drake and Coppin State.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
Coppin State returns three starters and 10 letter winners to a team that finished 22-12 and advanced to the NCAA tournament last season, falling to Maryland 80-66 in the first round.

The Eagles enter today's game at 0-4, falling to Penn State, 76-61, Saturday, at the Timeout 4 HIV/AIDS Tournament hosted by Pepperdine (Malibu, Calif). Coppin State was paced by Danielle Anders with 30 points and seven rebounds. Also scoring in double-figures was Lakeytah Irving with 11 points in 18 minutes.

FOLLOW THE DRAKE-COPPIN STATE GAME
There are two ways to follow the action of the Drake-Coppin State game:

• Log onto www.godrakebulldogs.com and follow the link to livestats.
• Listen to the Drake broadcast on KRNT (1350 AM).

CHAMPIONSHIP WEEK

The 2007-08 Missouri Valley Conference men's and women's basketball championship banners will be unveiled this week as part of a Championship Week Celebration at the Drake Knapp Center.

On Tuesday, prior to the Drake-Coppin State women's basketball game, both the 2007-08 MVC regular season championship and WNIT banners will be unveiled.

The first 1,000 fans in attendance will receive a championship ring pop and have an opportunity to take a photo with the MVC Championship trophies.

During halftime of the women's game, the returning members of the 2007-08 Drake men's basketball team will receiver their MVC championship rings.

The Drake men's soccer team, which advanced to its first ever NCAA Tournament, also will receive their NCAA medals at halftime.

Prior to the Drake men's basketball game against Lincoln (Mo.) on Wednesday (Dec. 3), both the 2007-08 MVC Championship and NCAA Tournament banners will be unveiled.

The first 1,000 fans will receive a championship ring pop and have an opportunity to take a photo with the championship trophies.

During halftime of the men's game,  there will be a ring ceremony for the returning members of the 2007-08 Drake women's basketball team which earned a share of the MVC title. Members of the 2008 Drake men's tennis team and softball team which also competed in the NCAA Tournament also will be honored.

On Friday during the opening round of the Iowa Realty Invitational, the first 1,000 fans in attendance will receive a 2007-08 MVC Championship commemorative holiday ornament, courtesy of Iowa Realty.

 SOPHOMORE SPARK
Sophomore guard Kristin Turk (Des Moines, Iowa/Lincoln) is taking advantage of increased playing time by averaging 15.0 points in the last three games. She came off the bench to score 12 points at Green Bay last Saturday, then tallied a career-high 20 in her first college start against Tennessee Tech. Against Columbia Saturday she was in double-figures again with 13 points.

AGAINST THE MID-EASTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE
This will be Drake's first meeting against a team from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.

STARTING LINE-UP CHANGE
Coach Amy Stephens shuffled her lineup for the second time this season in the win against Coppin State, inserting Morgan Herrick and returning Kaneisha Agee back to the starting unit.

DRAKE PICKS UP WIN AGAINST COLUMBIA
Drake 69, Columbia 59 (Nov. 29: Des Moines, Iowa) ? Sophomore Kristin Turk (Des Moines, Iowa/Lincoln) scored 11 of her team-high 13 points in the second half to propel Drake to a 69-59 triumph over Columbia Saturday afternoon.

Holding a 40-30 advantage at halftime, the Bulldogs seemed poised to control the final 20 minutes en route to securing their third victory of the season.
Columbia refused to go away as it used a 15-7 run over the first 7:16 of the second half to cut the deficit to two, 47-45, on a three-pointer from Katherine Goodwin.

Senior Lauren Dybing (Bloomington, Minn./St. Croix Lutheran) pushed the margin back to five, 50-45, connecting on a three-pointer at the 11:32 mark.

The Lions cut the deficit to three points on four different occasions down the stretch before Turk and redshirt junior Jordann Plummer (St. Louis, Mo./Cardinal Ritter) scored Drake's final nine points over the last three minutes. Turk netted five points in the surge, while Plummer went 4-for-4 at the charity stripe in the final two minutes to cement the win.

Joining Turk in double-figures was Dybing and sophomore Morgan Herrick (Cedarburg, Wis./Cedarburg) with 12 and 10 points, respectively.

Three Lions finished with double-digit points led by Judie Lomax with a 16-point, 13-rebound performance, both marks represented game highs.

After shooting 42.1 percent in the first half, the Bulldogs connected on 50 percent of their shots in the final 20 minutes to finish the game at .448. The Lions proved to be the polar opposite as Columbia registered a 51.9 percent shooting mark in the initial stanza only to shoot 38.7 percent in the second half to finish with an identical 44.8 percent field-goal percentage.

The Lions kept the contest close by earning a 41-29 rebounding advantage, including 16-10 on the offensive glass. The 41 rebounds were a Drake opponent season-high.

Plummer and freshman Brittnye McSparron (Apple Valley, Minn./Eastview) each added eight points for the Bulldogs. Senior Kelsey Keizer (Arnolds Park, Iowa/Okoboji) pulled down a team- and season-best nine rebounds, including five on the offensive glass. Fellow senior Ashleigh Brady (Lubbock, Texas/Frenship) recorded seven points off the bench for the Bulldogs.

Drake converted 21 Columbia turnovers into 18 points, while the Lions netted only nine points off of 11 Bulldogs miscues.

ONE YEAR AGO
Five games into the campaign last season Drake had compiled a 2-3 record, including 3-0 at home, 0-1 on the road and 0-1 at neutral sites.

ON THIS DATE IN BULLDOG HISTORY
Drake is 7-6 all-time on Dec. 2. The Bulldogs are 5-3 in home contests, 2-2 on the road and 0-1 at neutral sites on Dec. 2. The first Dec. 2 victory was in the 1975 season with a 76-69 overtime win over at Central. The most recent victory was an 80-68 triumph over MontanaState last season in the Knapp Center, which was coach Amy Stephen's 65th win at Drake.

WELCOME TO OUR HOME, DON'T GET TOO COMFORTABLE
The Bulldogs are 160-45 in 15 years of playing in the Drake Knapp Center. Notable wins for Drake in the Knapp Center have come against Iowa, Iowa State, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Southern California, Oregon State, Utah and Wisconsin.

The Bulldogs are 2-0 in the Knapp Center this season with wins over Texas State (Nov. 14) and Columbia (Nov. 29), averaging 2,408 fans per contest.

In 13 home contests last season, Drake averaged 2,728 fans per game. The Bulldogs have averaged 41,943 per season for the last 12 seasons, including a school-record 28,380 fans during the 1998-99 campaign.

WITH A WIN AGAINST COPPIN STATE

• Drake will collect its first win against a team from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.
• Drake will improve to 1-2 against teams from Maryland, including a 1-1 mark in the Knapp Center.
• Drake will improve to 161-45 in the Knapp Center.
• Drake will improve to 356-101 in home contests.
• Amy Stephens will collect her first win against a team from Maryland.

DRAKE'S OFFENSIVE PROGRESS REPORT
In Drake's five games this season, this is how the Bulldogs fared from the field: 50 percent: NA; 40 percent: Green Bay (.458), Texas State (.457), Columbia (.448), Tennessee Tech (.441); 30 percent: Wisconsin (.357); 20 percent: NA.

BULLDOGS' DEFENSIVE PROGRESS REPORT
This is how the Bulldogs' opponents have fared from the field this season: 50 percent: NA; 40 percent: Green Bay (.488), Columbia30 percent: Texas State (.323), Wisconsin (.377),Tennessee Tech (.380); 20 percent: NA. (.448);

PUT ME IN COACH
The Drake bench has accounted 136 of the Bulldog's 302 points this season. The bench effort is led by senior guard Ashleigh Brady with 33 bench points in five games.

Drake bench points have been double that of opponents this season with the Bulldogs at a 136-68 advantage.

TRIPLE SCOOP
Senior forward Kelsey Keizer is taking charge under the glass by averaging 7.5 rebounds in the last two games. She came off the bench to grab a team-leading six rebounds at Tennessee Tech and nine against Columbia.

Keizer's 15 rebounds in the last two games tripled her combined total of five in Drakes' first three games: 0 vs. Texas State, 3 at Wisconsin and 2 at Green Bay.

DRAKE TABBED THIRD
The Bulldogs were tabbed to finish third in the 2008-09 Missouri Valley Conference pre-season poll.

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 were Evansville in fourth with 342 points followed by Northern Iowa (245), Missouri State (215 points), IndianaState (166 points), Bradley (161 points), Southern Illinois (108 points) and Wichita State (47 points).

DECEMBER SUCCESS
The Bulldogs have enjoyed success in the month of December over the years, producing a 121-83 all-time record. Drake is 70-23 at home, 44-54 on the road and 7-6 at neutral sites.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

• 12?the number of double-digit point performances this season.
• 2?the number of times with 11 or fewer turnovers this season.
• 3-0?record when three or more players are in double-figures.

BULLDOGS ON THE WEB
Information on the Drake Bulldogs, all other Missouri Valley Conference teams and the league is available to members of the media at all times via the internet.

Drake's Athletic Website may be found at www.GoDrakeBulldogs.com. The site will include current statistics and game notes as well as other pertinent information about Bulldog basketball and other varsity teams.

The MVC website may be found at www.mvc.org. The site will contain conference statistics, standings, TV schedules and press releases, among other important information about MVC basketball.

FORMER DRAKE STANDOUT NAMED RHODES SCHOLAR
Former Drake University women's basketball standout Lindsay Whorton (Independence, Mo./Truman) was selected as one of 32 Americans chosen as a Rhodes Scholar for 2009. She is Drake's first Rhodes Scholar recipient in 82 years.

Whorton, who will graduate in December with a double major in English and secondary education, maintains a perfect 4.0 grade point average.

She receives a two-year scholarship to study at Oxford University in Oxford, England. She plans to study social policy and evidence-based social intervention at Oxford.

This year's 32 Rhodes Scholars were picked from 769 applicants endorsed by 207 colleges and universities nationwide. About 80 scholars were chosen throughout the world for inclusion in the 2009 class.

Prior Rhodes Scholars include former President Bill Clinton, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal and former senator and former NBA star Bill Bradley.

The internationally renowned scholarships were created in 1902 by the will of Cecil Rhodes, a British philanthropist and African colonial pioneer.

Rhodes Scholars are selected on the basis of high academic achievement, integrity of character, a spirit of unselfishness, respect for others, potential for leadership and physical vigor.

Whorton is student teaching at Valley High School in West Des Moines, Iowa this semester. This past summer, she took a youth group from a West Des Moines church to an impoverished county in South Dakota, where they performed service work on an Indian reservation.

A year ago on the basketball court, she helped lead the Bulldogs to a 23-11 mark and their first regular season Missouri Valley Conference title since the 2000-01 campaign, averaging 13.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists en route to earning first team All-MVC accolades. Drake also won its first postseason tournament game since 2001-02 with its 65-56 home victory over Green Bay in the Women's National Invitation Tournament.

She finished her career as Drake's all-time leader in three pointers with 266 and played in 125 career contests, the second-best mark in school history. Her 797 career three-point attempts are an MVC record, while ranking third in career triples in league history. She scored 1,564 career points, the 13th-highest total in Bulldog history.

Off the court, she became just the third women's basketball player in school history to be named a first team Academic All-America selection when she was tabbed to the five-player ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America squad.

Whorton joined Jan Jensen (1990 & 1991) and Tricia Wakely (1996) on this prestigious list. Jan Jensen was named national Academic All-America Player of the Year in 1991, while Wakely shared the same honor in 1996.

She also became the first Bulldog to earn first team Academic All-MVC laurels three times as she garnered top billing in the conference in 2007-08 with her selection as the Prairie Farms MVC Scholar Athlete of the Year.

HEAD COACH AMY STEPHENS
Amy Stephens is in her sixth campaign as head women's basketball coach at Drake University after guiding the Bulldogs last season to a 23-11 mark and the program's first regular season Missouri Valley Conference title since the 2000-01 campaign.

In her first five campaigns, she boasts an NCAA Tournament appearance, a trio of WNIT berths and an 87-74 overall (.538) record.

The NCAA Tournament is nothing new to Stephens, who in her 13 seasons as a head coach has made eight NCAA Tournament appearances. Stephens has won 71 percent (.706) of her games as a head coach and carries an impressive 284-117 career record. In home contests, her teams have posted a stellar 165-29 mark.

A four-time Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Coach of the Year, Stephens led Nebraska-Kearney to five RMAC titles while the team averaged nearly 25 victories per season. UNK earned seven straight trips to the NCAA Tournament and also set an NCAA Division II record with an 87-game home-court winning streak that lasted from January of 1995 through November of 2001.

Stephens was the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) District 7 Coach of the Year and a finalist for national coach-of-the-year honors in 2000.

Stephens was one of the most prolific scorers in Nebraska school history. The 5-foot 6-inch guard from Alliance, Neb., ranks third on Nebraska's all-time scoring list with 1,976 points as a four-year starter from 1985 through 1989. She also ranks third in career steals (280) and fourth in assists (444). She is one of the top three-point shooters in Nebraska history, ranking in the top five in career three-point percentage (second, .399), career three-point baskets (fourth, 129) and career three-point attempts (fifth, 323), despite only having the shot at her disposal for just two seasons.

Stephens started 113 games during her Nebraska career and earned Kodak All-District V and first-team All-Big Eight Conference honors as a senior in 1988-89. As a junior in 1987-88, Stephens helped the Huskers to their only Big Eight title and the first NCAA Tournament appearance in school history.

In February of 2000, Stephens claimed one of five spots on Nebraska's All-Century Team as part of the school's celebration of 25 years of women's intercollegiate athletics. Stephens also was inducted into the Nebraska High School Hall of Fame in 1999.

Stephens earned her bachelor's degree in physical education from Nebraska in 1991 and completed her master's degree in educational administration from Nebraska-Kearney in 1998.

NEXT UP
Drake travels to Weber State for a Saturday, Dec. 6, match-up. Game time is scheduled for 2 p.m.