ST. CHARLES, MO. - The Lindenwood women's basketball team fell to the Drake Bulldogs by a final score of 60-87 in Des Moines, Iowa on Thursday afternooon.

"This was a neat environment for our team to play in, and so good for the game of women's basketball," said Head Coach Katie Falco. "I thought our team did a great job of responding and competing, especially in the second half. We dug deep, found the toughness we needed, and felt so good to see our shots start falling. We played the game to a 1 point differential in the 3rd & 4th quarters combined, against a tremendous & well respected team."

GAME OVERVIEW
The Lions extended their road streak with a game against powerhouse Drake, who came into the matchup with a 2-1 home record and 3-2 overall record. This matinee affair for the Bulldogs was the annual "Pack the Knapp for Character" game, which resulted in over 4,000 area elementary and middle school students from over 50 local schools being in attendance. 

The first quarter of play resulted in Drake knocking down 27 points as opposed to Lindenwood's 17 points, heading into the second with just a 10 point deficit. 

The Bulldogs really got the momentum rolling in the second quarter, however, knocking down 25 more points before the half. The Lions fought hard to keep up, but had a hard fight ahead of them to close things back up for the remainder of the game.

At the half, Paige Craft led the Lions with 11 total points, making her the only Lindenwood player in double digits points-wise. Rebounds and assists were distributed evenly among the Lions, with multiple girls in the running for the top spot on the team leaderboard.  

Lindenwood looked strong again in the third, hanging with the Bulldogs by putting up 16 total points in response to Drake's 20 total points. Things sat at 42-72 at the conclusion of the third quarter, and the Lions were still looking to close the gap significantly with tough team defense and more consistent buckets. 

The second half consisted of 50% shooting from outside the arc for the Lions, which was a key factor in the close one-point game that was the second half.

To kick off the final quarter of play, the Lions started off outscoring the Bulldogs 11-4, looking to flip the script late in the game. Lindenwood would still have the better of the scoring in the fourth, putting up 18 total points as opposed to Drake's 15, but ultimately fell in the end.

GAME LEADERS
Alana Striverson - 13 P, 4 RB, 2 A
Sophia Horton - 13 P, 2 RB
Paige Craft - 11 P, 2 RB, 3 A, 1 ST

UP NEXT
The Lions will take on Tulsa next this Sunday, December 4 at their place, continuing their non-conference road stretch. Tip off is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.