The Drake women's basketball team is just one win from history. Again.
Behind Urbandale native Becca Hittner, Drake improved to 17-0 in Missouri Valley Conference play this season, coasting past Loyola 97-53 on Thursday in Chicago. If Drake wins Saturday's season finale at Valparaiso, the program will own consecutive perfect regular seasons in conference play after becoming the first Valley team to go unbeaten last year.
The victory was the Bulldogs' 39th straight against MVC competition, extending the school's Valley/Gateway Conference record.
Hittner, a sophomore guard, scored 25 points but had help from Maddy Dean (17 points) and Sara Rhine (15). Dean and Rhine were parts of a Drake bench unit that outscored the Ramblers' reserves 45-10.
Loyola (7-21, 5-12) was paced Jessica Cerda and her 17 points. The Ramblers led after the first quarter, and were up by as many as 10 in the opening period.
But the Bulldogs (22-7) put this one away not long into the second quarter with the help of a 49-7 run that spanned into the third quarter.
Other impressive numbers for Drake include the team's 16 3-pointers and 31 assists on t 37 field goals. Jennie Baraczyk's team also notched a season-high 18 steals.