University of Northern Iowa
7-12,6-4MVC
Drake
16-5,9-1MVC
Panthers fall to Bulldogs in Saturday night matchup
2/3/2024 8:39:00 PM | Women's Basketball
UNI women’s basketball looked to mount a comeback in the last minutes of the matchup but was held off by Drake, 79-71.
CEDAR FALLS --- UNI welcomed the Drake Bulldogs to the McLeod Center for a Saturday night matchup. The Bulldogs got out to a hot start early which the Panthers looked to overcome down the stretch. Drake held off the UNI storm through the final minutes of the matchup and took home a 79-71 victory.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Bulldogs struck first which was followed by a layup from Grace Boffeli shortly thereafter to tie the contest at two. Drake went on a 15-point run to break the first quarter open and lead 17-2 early in the frame. A free throw from Grace Boffeli ended the Drake run. Back-and-forth buckets down the stretch were capped off with a seven-point, Panther run to close the gap and bring Drake down to a 10-point lead at 22-12 at the end of the first quarter. The run included a jumper from Grace Boffeli, a three-pointer from Emerson Green, and a pair of free throws from Maya McDermott.
The second quarter opened with a jump shot from Emerson Green before a seven-point run from the Bulldogs. A three-pointer from McDermott was answered by a Drake three before a 7-3 run from UNI saw the Drake lead cut to 11 at 35-24. Back-to-back buckets from Drake pushed the lead out big for the Bulldogs before a 10-3 Panther run which included back-to-back threes from Maya McDermott to head into halftime with a score of 42-34 in favor of Drake.
Out of the break, Grace Boffeli scored a put-back layup which was followed by a Drake layup. A three-pointer from Kayba Laube was followed by a five-point Bulldog run to take a 10-point lead over the Panthers at 49-39. UNI and Drake traded three-pointers before another five-point BUlldog run took the teams into the third quarter media timeout with Drake out in front by a score of 57-43.
Out of the media timeout, Ryley Goebel knocked down back-to-back layups which were followed by an and-one layup from Maya McDermott and a jump shot from Taryn Wharton to cut the Bulldog lead to eight at 52-60. Drake held a 5-2 advantage in the final minutes of the third quarter and the teams headed into the final frame with a score of 65-54 in favor of the Bulldogs.
A layup from Shateah Wetering opened the fourth quarter for the Panthers before Drake answered with their own layup. A five-point Panther run cut the Drake lead to six points before a layup from the Bulldogs ended the run. Back-to-back three-pointers from the Panthers cut the lead back to six points after back-to-back threes from Drake before a four-point Bulldog run to close the game after a layup from McDermott.
Maya McDermott led the Panthers with 19 points. She added six rebounds and three steals. Grace Boffeli was the other lone Panther in double-figures with 17 points. She added nine rebounds to her total.
ADDITIONAL NOTES
- UNI dropped the 98th meeting of these two squads and fell to 27-71 in the series after the 79-71 victory by Drake.
- Maya McDermott remains perfect in conference play as well as inside the McLeod Center after going 3-for-3 from the free throw line against Drake. She has now made all 25 free throws in conference play and all 24 she has taken in the McLeod Center.
- Grace Boffeli finished the matchup with nine rebounds. She now claims the no. 6 spot on UNI's all-time rebound list, passing Erin Brocka (2007-11), Lizzie Boeck (2007-11), and Amy Swisher (200-04) in the game against Drake.
UP NEXT
The Panthers stay home for two more matchups, the first of which comes on February 8 when the Panthers rematch the Illinois State Redbirds for National Girls and Women in Sports Day. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT and can be streamed on ESPN+ or listened to on the Panther Sports Radio Network.
