Starting Five - Storylines for the Weekend
1) Off to a 2-0 Missouri Valley Conference start for the fourth time in the last five seasons, the No. 18/20 Missouri State Lady Bears (12-2, 2-0 MVC) host preseason league favorite Drake (9-4, 1-0) at 7 p.m. Friday before taking on UNI (8-4, 0-1) at 2 p.m. Sunday at JQH Arena. The Lady Bears are now 36-5 overall since Dec. 20, 2018, ranking fourth nationally in total wins since that date.
2) The Lady Bears have shot 40 percent or better and scored at least 68 points in 13 of 14 games this season. Through Jan. 7, the Lady Bears rank fourth nationally in 3-point percentage at .411, 26th at 45.9 percent overall and 18th at 76.8 percent from the foul line.
3) Missouri State has won the rebounding battle in 12 of 14 games this season and owns a plus-9.7 margin on the glass this year after ranking second in school history at plus-8.3 last season. The Lady Bears rank fourth nationally in defensive rebounding rate at nearly 77 percent, and 17th in rebound margin.
4) The Lady Bears are off to their best start since the 2003-04 team opened 20-1, and best home start since that same club finished 17-0 in Springfield. Missouri State's 10 wins prior to MVC play are the most in school history.
5) Both weekend opponents rank in the top 50 of the NCAA RPI, including Drake at 27th. The Lady Bears have already played five top-55 opponents this year, all on the road, and are 3-2 in those contests, losing only to Oregon State (6) and Gonzaga (8).
Series Histories
The Lady Bears trail Drake 44-43 in the all-time series, and Friday's 88th meeting will tie DU with Wichita State as MSU's most-played opponent. Missouri State is 27-18 at home against the Bulldogs, but has lost the last four meetings in JQH Arena. MSU is also the only MVC to beat Drake since late February 2016, doing so three times since then - in the 2016 MVC Tournament semifinal, the 2019 championship game, and the 2019 regular season meeting in Des Moines.
    Missouri State is 54-28 all-time against UNI after winning all three meetings last year. The Lady Bears are 31-8 versus the Panthers in Springfield.
Scouting Drake
Drake is 9-4 on the year and 1-0 in the MVC after a league-opening victory against UNI. The Bulldogs are rated 27th in the Jan. 7 NCAA RPI, and own MVC's highest-scoring offense, led by Sara Rhine at 18.6 points on 67 percent shooting, and two-time MVC Player of the Year Becca Hittner with 17.4 points per contest and 27 3-pointers. Drake averages 82 points, allows 70.4, and shoots 48 percent overall, 33.7 percent from beyond the arc and 76 percent at the foul line with a plus-7.8 rebound margin. The Bulldogs have won 29 consecutive MVC road games.
Scouting UNI
UNI is 8-4 overall and 0-1 in MVC play after losing to Drake on the opening night of league play. The Panthers have eight players that score at least 5.2 points per game, led by Karli Rucker at 12.8, and own three victories over Power Five clubs this season in Iowa, Iowa State and Missouri. As a team, UNI scores 72.2 points per game and allows 64.6, shooting 41.4 percent overall, 34.6 percent on 3-pointers and an MVC-best 78.9 percent at the foul line with a plus-1.0 rebound margin.
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