University of Northern Iowa
11-14,10-6MVC
Drake
22-5,15-1MVC
Panthers fall in wire-to-wire shootout at Drake
2/25/2024 4:18:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Bulldog second chance opportunities stifle Panthers in 79-77 loss at Drake.
DES MOINES --- UNI women's basketball traveled to Drake to take on the Valley's top-ranked Bulldogs on Sunday afternoon. Drake jumped out to a hot start, but the Panthers clawed their way back as the two teams traded blows down the stretch. The Bulldogs came out of the slugfest on top by a score of 79-77.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Bulldogs opened the matchup with a three-pointer which was met with a three from Maya McDermott to tie the ballgame at three points. Back-to-back-to-back three-pointers from Drake pushed the Bulldog lead out to nine points at 12-3. Ryley Goebel ended the nine-point run with a putback layup before a Drake layup just before the first-quarter media timeout.
Out of the break, Goebel knocked down a layup before a pair of free throws fell for Drake. Back-and-forth buckets from both teams including a three-pointer for each squad saw the first quarter come to a close with a jump shot from Bri Robinson. The first quarter closed with a Drake lead of five points at 16-21.
The second quarter saw back-and-forth action heading into the media timeout with Drake taking a one-point edge in the five minutes on a 9-8 run which pushed the Bulldog lead out to six points at 30-24. Out of the media timeout, Kayba Laube knocked down a pair of free throws before a three-pointer from McDermott as well as a layup. Nine points from each squad following the media timeout saw a halftime score of 39-33 in favor of the Bulldogs.
McDermott opened the third quarter with a layup before Drake answered with a three-pointer. Laube followed the Drake three with one of her own before a layup from Drake. The Panthers mounted a 15-5 run and took a six-point lead at 55-49 on a three-pointer from Rachael Heittola. Drake answered a 9-0 run from the Panthers with an 8-0 run to take a 57-55 lead. A Drake layup was bookended by a pair of Maya McDermott layups and the two teams headed into the final frame all tied up at 59.
Both Drake and UNI took turns knocking down shots and taking the lead with five lead changes in the first five minutes of the fourth quarter. The game was tied at 69 as the teams headed into the fourth-quarter media timeout.
Drake jumped out to a lead with a three-pointer out of the media timeout and held on for the rest of the quarter, squeaking out with a 79-77 victory after the free throw game down the stretch.
Maya McDermott led the Panther offense with 24 points on 9-for-17 shooting. She added four assists to her total. Four other Panthers recorded double-figure points as Kayba Laube, Grace Boffeli, Rachael Heittoila, and Ryley Goebel scored 15, 12, 11, and 10 respectively. Laube was 3-of-4 from beyond the arc against Drake.
ADDITIONAL NOTES
- UNI fell in the 99th meeting of these two programs by a score of 79-77. Drake now leads the all-time series with a record of 72-27.
- Ryley Goebel tied her season high with 10 points against Drake. This is the third time this season she has been in double figures.
- Maya McDermott went 4-5 from the free throw line against the Bulldogs, her first miss from the stripe in conference play. She still leads the nation with a 95.5% free throw percentage (63-of-66).
- With 24 points, Maya McDermott recorded her seventh 20+-point performance of the season.
UP NEXT
The Panthers return home for their final home series of the regular season which kicks off with a matchup against the Beacons of Valparaiso on February 29. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m.CT. The game can be broadcast on ESPN+ or listened to on the Panther Sports Radio Network.
