University of Northern Iowa
Drake
Donaldson, Keitel Power UNI Past Drake, 99-97
3/2/2014 1:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
DES MOINES, Iowa – The University of Northern Iowa women's basketball team posted a thrilling 99-97 overtime win at Drake on Sunday afternoon.
UNI was led by a pair of career scoring highs from Brittni Donaldson and Jen Keitel. Donaldson knocked down a school-record eight 3-pointers in posting 34 points. Keitel dropped in 28 points and grabbed 13 rebounds for her sixth double-double of the year.
UNI withstood the offensive onslaught from a pair of Bulldogs in Kyndal Clark and Lizzy Wendell. Clark scored 41 points on 14-of-23 shooting, including 7-of-13 from 3-point range. Wendell tallied 35 points in a losing cause for the Bulldogs.
UNI improved to 16-11 overall and 12-4 in the Missouri Valley Conference. UNI is tied with Indiana State (12-4) for second place in the MVC standings, only one-half game behind Wichita State (13-4) for the conference lead. Drake falls to 14-13 overall and 8-8 in league play.
The Panthers jumped on the Bulldogs early with a 9-0 run to start the contest. Brooke Brown's steal and layup completed the run and also gave her 500 career points with the basket.
The Bulldogs regrouped following a timeout and responded with a 12-2 run to take a 12-11 lead with 13:51 left in the first half. The Bulldogs were helped by seven straight points from freshman Lizzy Wendell in the run.
Brittni Donaldson connected on a pair of 3-pointers in igniting a 10-0 run for the Panthers to give UNI a 27-19 lead with 6:40 left in the first half. UNI pushed the lead to 11 points as Jen Keitel scored six consecutive points. Keitel's two free throws with 2:58 left in the half completed a 16-3 run for the Panthers.
Drake would close the half on a 9-0 and the Panthers would take a 33-31 lead into the intermission.
Drake's Kyndal Clark started the second half with a conventional 3-point play to give the Bulldogs a short-lived 34-33 lead. UNI came right back with a 10-0 spurt that saw Donaldson bury two 3-pointers and a jumper from just beyond the free-throw line that gave UNI a 43-34 lead with 16:51 left in the second half.
UNI's Stephanie Davison knocked down a 3-pointer with 14:23 left to give UNI a 10-point bulge at 51-41. Drake came right back with an 8-0 run to cut the margin to two, but Donaldson drained a school-record tying seventh 3-pointer of the game to put UNI back up 54-49 with 12:45 left.
Donaldson drained a school-record eighth 3-pointer with 7:23 left to give UNIJ a 70-61 cushion over the Bulldogs. But Clark answered for Drake and pulled the Bulldogs to within 75-73 with 3:06 left in the contest as she drove the lane for a layup. Drake's Wendell would tie the game at 75-75 with two free throws with 2:48 left.
UNI's Brown broke a 77-77 tie with a 3-pointer out of the left corner with 1:17 left. Drake's Wendell committed a 3-second violation to give the ball back to the Panthers. UNI's Donaldson worked the shot clock down but missed a 3-pointer allowed Drake the possession. Clark drove the length of the floor for a layup to cut the UNI lead to one at 80-79.
Donaldson was fouled with 18.1 and she went to the line for a 1-and-1. Donaldson drained both free throws to put the Panthers up by three, 82-79. Clark took the inbounds pass for Drake and scored another layup with 11.4 seconds left to draw Drake back within a point at 82-81. Donaldson was fouled again with 10.4 left and proceeded to make both.
Drake's Wendell then buried a game-tying 3-pointer with 1.2 seconds left to force overtime at 84-84.
The teams exchanged the lead six times in overtime with the Panthers eventually taking a 94-92 lead on a 3-pointer from Hannah Schonhardt with 2:02 left in the extra session. Clark was able to draw Drake even at 94-94 on a bucket from Clark with 35.2 seconds left. Donaldson was fouled on an inbounds pass with 16.1 seconds left and made two free throws to give UNI a 96-94 lead.
Clark turned the ball over on Drake's ensuing possession and Schonhardt got the steal. Schonhardt made two free throws with 9.4 to extend the lead to four at 98-94. Wendell made her fourth 3-pointer with 2.8 seconds left to pull Drake back to within one. But Drake's Alyssa Marschner was whistled for a technical foul on the Panthers's inbounds pass as Marschner touched the pass before it broke the inbounds line. Donaldson made one of two to give UNI a 99-97 lead. Drake intercepted the inbounds pass at halfcourt but could only muster a heave toward the hoop and it missed giving UNI the two-point win.
UNI will wrap up the regular season with a pair of home games on Thursday vs. Illinois State and Saturday vs. Indiana State in the McLeod Center.
NOTES: UNI made a season-high 14 3-pointers … UNI won the rebounding battle, 43-35 … Keitel also tied her career-high with 13 rebounds.
