FRESHMAN GUARD KAYLA PERSON calls the play to her team, working her way down the court during the Hoops 4 Hope this season. Photo: Sarah Andrews
Indiana State held Drake junior Kristin Turk to just four points in the first half. The Sycamores had no answer for her in the second.
Turk rolled off 24 points after the half to finish Thursday night’s game in the Knapp Center with a career-high 28. Turk’s energy helped lift the Bulldogs over the Sycamores, 77-58.
“I thought Kristen Turk was obviously a huge bright spot in the second half,” said Drake Head Coach Amy Stephens.
Turk’s first basket of the second half came with the help of some trickery and the Indiana State defenders’ inattentiveness. Under Drake’s basket, Turk inbounded the ball off the back of a Sycamore player, picked it up and laid it in at the 17:48 mark.
“They were a wall with their backs facing me,” Turk said. “I was like, ‘I’m just going to do it.’”
Turk wasn’t necessarily comfortable with the play.
“I’m never going to run that play again,” Turk said. “If it ever happens and I mess it up, I’ll be in so much trouble.”
Stephens didn’t seem too concerned with Turk’s risky maneuver.
“It was a heads-up play,” Stephens said. “You never know what trick Kristen’s going to pull out of her hat. She’s a high-risk, high-reward player and tonight I thought she was really terrific.”
Turk was more at ease with her long-distance shots, going 4-of-6 from behind the arc for the Bulldogs. All four treys came in the second half.
“People were getting me really good screens,” Turk said. “I was getting really good passes right in my shooting pocket. My teammates were just really setting me up and that’s really everything.”
Leading both teams in assists was senior Jordann Plummer with nine. Plummer also sank a key shot after hustling for an offensive rebound to give the Bulldogs a 29-23 lead at the half after Indiana State had narrowed Drake’s lead to four points. Plummer finished with 11 points and six rebounds.
Plummer’s fellow senior Monique’ Jones recorded 11 points and six boards. Jones also had a team-high three steals.
“I thought (Jones) and Jordann (Plummer) came out and really set the tone defensively,” Stephens said. “I thought Jordann did a terrific job distributing the ball.”
Sophomore Rachael Hackbarth joined Jones and Plummer with 11 points, but those came in only 13 minutes of play and 10 points came in the second half. Hackbarth’s eight rebounds were tied for a game-high with Sycamore center Shannon Thomas.
Indiana State came within one point of the Bulldogs after Thomas hit a layup and converted a foul by Drake freshman Stephanie Running into a 3-point play with 9:06 remaining in the second half.
Turk responded with a pair of free throws of her own and followed up with a 3-point basket on the Bulldogs’ next possession. Drake extended the points surge to a 10-1 run in just two minutes and 52 seconds.
The Bulldogs had to call a timeout when Jones injured her knee with 4:28 left to play.
Drake improved to 14-13 and tied Indiana State for seventh place in the Missouri Valley Conference with a record of 7-10. Drake is ensured a play-in game in this week’s Missouri Valley Tournament.
Drake owns the tiebreaker over Indiana State after sweeping the season series with the Sycamores.
