THE GAME
Drake continues the Missouri Valley Conference season, traveling to Normal, Ill, for a match-up with preseason top pick Illinois State. Tip-off is scheduled for 2:05 p.m. KRNT (1350 AM) will carry the broadcast, with the pre-game show beginning at 1:35 p.m.

REMATCH
Drake and Illinois State shared the 2008 Missouri Valley Conference regular season title along with Evansville. Illinois State then beat Drake in the championship of the 2008 State Farm MVC Tournament, 70-72, to advance to the NCAA Tournament.

DRAKE BASKETBALL
The Drake women's basketball team will play its 1,018th contest Thursday against Illinois State. The Bulldogs have a record of 650-367 (.638), including a 357-103 (.776) home mark, a 225-219 (.507) road record and Drake is 68-45 (.602) at neutral locations. The Bulldogs are 162-47 (.775) in the Knapp Center, including a 60-23 (.723) mark under head coach Amy Stephens.

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

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

THE COACHES
Robin Pingeton is in her sixth season leading Illinois State, compiling a 99-68 (.593) record. She spent two seasons (1990-92) with the Drake coaching staff under head coach Lisa Bluder. The Bulldogs were 24-23 during Pingeton's time in Des Moines.

Amy Stephens is in her sixth season at Drake and owns a 90-78 (.536) ledger, with a 287-121 (.703) overall mark in her 14th season as a head coach.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
Illinois State, riding an eight-game win streak, is 10-3 following a 63-43 win over Creighton Thursday. The Redbirds are led by two-time MVC player of the year Kristi Cirone with 18.6 points, 5.8 assists and 4.2 rebounds per game. Also averaging double-figures is Maggie Krick with 13.2 and Shala Jackson with 10.2. The Sycamores top rebounder is Nicolle Lewis with 6.3 boards per game.

Illinois State leads the league in points per game (76.3), scoring margin (+14.8), field goal percentage (.351), assists (16.5), turnover margin (+1.1), assist/turnover ration (1.1) and defensive rebounds (39.3).

THE SERIES
This is the 57th meeting between Drake and Illinois State in a series that began during the 1981-82 season. The Bulldogs hold a 31-25 advantage in the series with a 17-9 home record, a 12-15 mark on the road and a 2-1 neutral court advantage. The 31 victories have come by an average of 11.4 points, while the team has fallen by an average margin of 8.7 in its 25 setbacks.

Drake has dropped its last five games at Illinois State. The Bulldogs last victory in Normal was Feb. 21, 2003, a 68-52 win.

BALANCE
In 12 games this season, five different players have led Drake in scoring and six players have led in rebounding. Leading scorers have been Ashleigh Brady, Kristin Turk (7 games), Jordann Plummer (2), Rachael Hackbarth (2) and Amber Wollschlager. Top rebounders include Lauren Dybing (4), Plummer, Kelsey Keizer (4), Turk, Monique' Jones and Rachael Hackbarth.

MAKING AN IMPACT
Drake's leading scorers in the last three games have been freshmen. Rachael Hackbarth recorded a team-leading 13 points against Iowa and had eight points against Indiana State. Amber Wollschlager had a break-out game with 18 points at Chicago State.

Underclassmen have led Drake in scoring nine times, with sophomore guard Kristin Turk collecting top points on seven occasions this season.

LAST TIME OUT
Indiana State 50, Drake 38 (Jan. 1; Terre Haute, Ind.) ? Indiana State went on an 11-0 run to open the second half en route to a 50-38 victory, spoiling Drake's Missouri Valley Conference opener.

And for the third straight time, a scoring drought proved costly for the Bulldogs who scored their fewest points ever in a Missouri Valley Conference game.

After a layup by Lauren Dybing (Bloomington, Minn./St. Croix Lutheran) gave Drake a 17-14 lead with 3:22 left in the first half, the Bulldogs would not score again until a basket by Dybing with 13:45 remaining in the game.

Drake missed 11 shots, while committing four turnovers during the 9 minute 38 second drought.

The Bulldogs finished the game shooting 34 percent from the field (17-of-50), including 18.8 percent (3-of-16) from three point range.

Kristin Turk (Des Moines, Iowa/Lincoln) and Racheal Hackbarth (Colgate, Wis./Wisconsin Lutheran) led Drake with eight points apiece and Hackbarth had a team-leading six rebounds.

Indiana State, which averaged 7.3 three point baskets coming into the game, was held to three by the Drake defense.

Individual defensive performances by junior Drake guards Kaniesha Agee (Kansas City, Mo./Pembroke Hill) and Jordann Plummer (St. Louis, Mo./Cardinal Ritter) held the Sycamores' Kelsey Luna to one-of-six from three point. Luna averaged 3.2 three-pointers and was shooting 40.4 percent from three point entering the game.

Drake held a 22-15 rebound advantage at the half but finished the game being outrebounded by the Sycamores, 38-30.

LAST TIME THEY MET
Illinois State 70, Drake 62 (March. 16; St. Louis, Mo.) ? Drake was outscored 36-27 over the final 20 minutes as Illinois State erased a one-point halftime deficit en route to a 70-62 victory in the championship game of the State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Tournament to thwart the Bulldogs' attempt at an 11th NCAA Tournament appearance.

The game was decided in the final stanza as Illinois State pulled ahead on the strength of 14 second-half offensive rebounds, while outscoring the Bulldogs in the paint, 18-8.

Ashleen Bracey proved to be Illinois State's catalyst finishing the contest with a game-high 16 rebounds, including 10 in the final 20 minutes.

The Redbird went ahead for the first time and to stay, 38-37, on a jumper from Kristi Cirone, the tournament's Most Outstanding Player, at the 17:24 mark.

Drake cut the margin to one, 42-41, off a jumper from senior Jill Martin (Norwalk, Iowa/Norwalk) with 13:04 remaining.

The Bulldogs got no closer as the Redbirds slowly pulled away to capture the win.

Senior Lindsay Whorton (Independence, Mo./Truman) paced the Drake attack with a team-high 17 points, while Martin joined her in double-figures with 16.

Cirone directed three Illinois State players with 20 points, while Bracey and Maggie Krick each chipped in 14 points.

The Bulldogs finished the affair shooting 42.6 percent from the field and they held the Redbirds to a 39.1 percent shooting mark.

Illinois State won the tale of the boards, 43-29, and it used the caroms to post an 18-8 advantage in second-chance points.

Martin was named to the all-tournament team along with sophomore Monique' Jones (Lee's Summit, Mo./Lee's Summit North), who finished the game with nine points.

SOME MORE STUFF

• Drake is 6-2 when leading at half.
• No game has been decided by less than 10 points this season.
• Drake attempted 30 free-throws in the season opener against Texas State. The next closest total is 17 against Weber State.
• Drake attempted a season-low four free throws against Indiana State. The four attempts was the lowest since the March 24, 2008 NIT game at Illinois where the Bulldogs attempted two free throws.
• Drake is 5-2 when shooting .400 or better. The Bulldogs won one game (vs. Coppin State) shooting under .400
• Drake is 5-1 when scoring 60 plus points and 1-0 when scoring 70 plus points.
• Senior forward Lauren Dybing will play in her 100th game against Illinois State.

ON THIS DATE IN BULLDOG HISTORY
The Bulldogs are 4-3 on January 3 contests with a 2-0 home record, 1-2 on the road and 1-1 in neutral locations. Drake has won its last three contests on Jan. 3, including conference wins at Southern Illinois (2004) and against Bradley (1997). The first Jan. 3rd contest was a 72-63 loss to California State-Fullerton in 1978.

WELCOME TO OUR HOME, DON'T GET TOO COMFORTABLE
The Bulldogs are 162-46 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, Oregon State, Southern California, Utah and Wisconsin.

The Bulldogs are 4-0 in the Knapp Center this season with wins over Texas State (Nov. 14), Columbia (Nov. 29), Coppin State (Dec. 2) and Western Michigan (Dec. 14).

In 16 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 48,380 fans during the 1998-99 campaign.

MULTIPLE THREAT
Drake senior Lauren Dybing, a 6-3 forward, is expanding her game this season. Dybing, who was 3-of-21 from three point all last season, has doubled her three-point production from a year ago, going 6-of-9 this season.

BULLDOG D
Under head coach Amy Stephens defense has been the signature of the Drake women's basketball team and this season is no different. The Bulldogs are holding opponents to an conference-leading of 58.7 points per game. In Drake's six wins the average drops to 53.5 points allowed per game.

NCAA RANKINGS
The NCAA ranks 328 Division I women's basketball programs in various statistical categories. In the December 21 rankings, the Bulldogs are in the top third nationally in scoring defense (65th, 57.6 ppg), free-throw percentage (73rd, .719) and turnovers per game (61st, 16.5).

DRAKE'S OFFENSIVE PROGRESS REPORT
In Drake's 12 games this season, this is how the Bulldogs fared from the field: 50 percent: NA; 40 percent: Green Bay (.458), Texas State (.457), Western Michigan (.452), Columbia (.448), Tennessee Tech (.441), Chicago State (.433), Weber State (.423); 30 percent: Iowa State (.392), Coppin State (.361), Wisconsin (.357), Indiana State (.340), 20 percent: Iowa (.299).

BULLDOGS' DEFENSIVE PROGRESS REPORT
This is how the Bulldogs' opponents have fared from the field this season: 50 percent: Chicago State (.521); 40 percent: Green Bay (.488), Iowa (.475), Iowa State (.451), Columbia (.448); 30 percent: Texas State (.323), Weber State (.328), Western Michigan (.358), Wisconsin (.377), Tennessee Tech (.380), Indiana State (.333); 20 percent: Coppin State (.281).

MOVIN' ON UP
With a team-leading nine blocks this season, senior forward Lauren Dybing moved into fourth place on the Drake career blocks list with 93.

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), Indiana State (166 points), Bradley (161 points), Southern Illinois (108 points) and Wichita State (47 points).

JANUARY SUCCESS
The Bulldogs have enjoyed success in the month of January, compiling a 181-105 record. Drake is 107-35 at home, 70-67 on the road and 4-3 at neutral sites. The Bulldogs have nine January games this season, including five at home where they are 4-1 this season.

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.

Whorton 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.

STEPHENS HONORED BY ROCKY MOUNTAIN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE
Drake women's head basketball coach Amy Stevens has been selected as the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference All-Time Women's Basketball Coach in conjunction with the league celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2009.

Stephens served as head coach at Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference member school Nebraska- Kearney from 1994-2002. The RMAC is the fourth oldest conference in the country, and the most historic in the western U.S.

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.

Two student-athletes who played under Stephens, Jessica Kedrowski and Jennifer Warner, were also selected to the RMAC 100th-Anniversary Women's Basketball Team.

"I have really great memories from coaching at Nebraska-Kearney," Stephens said. "It was a special time in my life. We had a lot of success, so I'm very humbled. One of my favorite sayings is great players make great coaches and I was very fortunate to be at Nebraska-Kearney when we had some phenomenal players who put Nebraska-Kearney on the map in terms of Division II women's basketball."

The 12-member RMAC All-Time Women's Basketball Team was selected by representatives from the conference's schools that participate in the sport of women's basketball. Official records for RMAC women's basketball date back to 1978. There are no records of RMAC Player of the Year before 1993 or Coach of the Year before 1992.

Drake Inks Four Prep Standouts
High school basketball standouts Kate Schechinger, a 6-3 center from Manning, Iowa; Lizzie Naumann, a 6-2 forward from Totino-Grace, Minn; Stephanie Running, a 6-2 forward from Oak Creek, Wis. and Kayla Person, a 5-6 guard from St. Louis, Mo., have signed national letters of intent indicating they will join the Drake women's basketball program.

“We are very excited to sign four outstanding high school athletes as well as individuals who exemplify great character and great academic achievement,” said Drake head coach Amy Stephens.

Schechinger, entering her third year as a starter at IKM-Manning, averaged 22.9 points and 11.4 rebounds for the Wolves in 2007-08. A 1,000-point scorer, she was an Iowa Girls Coaches Association Class 1A first-team all-state selection last year. She also was a first-team all-Western Iowa and All-Boyer Valley Conference selection.

The school-record holder in blocked shots (87), Schechinger is a two-year class president and student-council representative. She also plays volleyball for IKM-Manning, leading the team to the 2008 state tournament.

Naumann is a four-year starter for Totino-Grace, averaging 10.5 points and 9.8 rebounds. She holds school records for single-game rebounds (20) and season rebounds (303, 2007-08). This season Naumann looks to reach both 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds as she has 786 career points and 739 career rebounds.

A three-year North Suburban All-Conference selection, Naumann led the Eagles to a 28-3 record and the Minnesota AAA state championship title last season. She also was named a coaches association all-state selection last year.

Running, a three-time first-team all-conference selection, led the Oak Creek Knights to a 21-4 record and a section championship last season, averaging 16.8 points and 7.6 rebounds. She was named to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel first-team last season and was a Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) first-team selection in 2006-07 and 2007-08.

A three-year starter, Running is second all-time in scoring (1,011 points), first all-time in blocked shots (66) and holds the single-game record for rebounds (19) and field-goal percentage (.930; 13-of-14).

Person is entering her third year starting for the Incarnate Word Academy Red Knights. She was a 2007-08 Missouri Basketball Association and AP first-team all-state selection, averaging 11.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.9 steals. A two-time first-team all-Metro Women's Athletic Association selection, Person led the Red Knights to the championship game of the state tournament.