University of Northern Iowa Athletics
University of Northern Iowa
15-14,10-8MVC
Drake
20-9,14-4MVC
Panthers fall to Bulldogs in one-point heartbreaker on senior day
3/1/2025 5:11:00 PM | Women's Basketball
UNI women’s basketball dropped a one-point thriller to Drake inside the McLeod Center.
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa --- UNI women's basketball closed the home portion of the regular season with the Panthers' longest-running rivalry against the Drake Bulldogs. The senior day matchup fell the way of Drake after a valiant effort down the stretch of the fourth quarter came up one point short giving the Bulldogs an 80-79 victory in Cedar Falls.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Potent offenses clashed to open the first quarter with Drake taking a quick 5-0 lead. UNI battled back and traded buckets with the Bulldogs down the first-quarter stretch, but a highly-efficient team from deep, Drake continued to rain in the threes, shooting 62.5% (5-for-8) from beyond the arc in the first 10 minutes. The Bulldogs held a 25-18 lead heading into the second quarter.
Back-to-back buckets from the Panthers cut the Drake lead to three at 25-22. The Bulldogs continued to connect from deep with a pair of triples which were answered by back-to-back layups from Emerson Green. UNI and Drake continued to trade punches into halftime with the Bulldogs holding a 43-36 advantage at halftime. The Panthers shot 45.7% (16-for-35) from the floor in the first half and were led by 13 points, four rebounds, and four steals from Ryley Goebel in the first half.
Back-to-back threes from Drake opened the second half to give the Bulldogs a 13-point advantage at 49-36. UNI continued to creep back into the matchup through the third quarter and cut the Drake lead to 11 at 61-50 heading into the final frame. The Panther offense came alive in the fourth quarter as they held a 29-19 edge over the 10-minute span. Maya McDermott took over the game and recorded 13 straight points and 18 of the last 22 Panther points to bring the game to a one-point Drake lead with 1.1 seconds to go on a three-point prayer. The Panthers were unable to get a foul off in time and fell at the final buzzer 80-79.
Maya McDermott led UNI scoring with 27 points. She added a pair of rebounds and a pair of assists to her totals. Ryley Goebel and Emerson Green were the other two Panthers in double figures with 15 and 14 respectively. Goebel stuffed the stat sheets with seven rebounds, six steals, and five blocks.
ADDITIONAL NOTES
- UNI falls to 15-14 on the season and 10-8 in conference play.
- UNI finishes the home portion of the regular season with a 9-6 record inside the McLeod Center. It is the 12th consecutive season the Panthers have been over .500 inside the McLeod Center.
- Maya McDermott finished with 27 points. That matchup was her 25th double-figure scoring effort of the season and her 14th 20+-point performance. McDermott moved up to no. 3 on UNI's all-time scoring list and no. 3 on UNI's single-season scoring list with her 27 points against the Bulldogs. McDermott also broke into UNI's top-10 in made free throws passing Karli Rucker's (2017-22) career mark of 302.
- Ryley Goebel tied a career-high with five blocks against Drake. The forward became the first player in UNI and MVC history to record both 60+ blocks and 60+ steals in a single season. Goebel moved up to no. 3 all-time on UNI's blocks list and no. 3 on UNI's single-season blocks list.
UP NEXT
The Panthers hit the road to take on UIC and Valparaiso to close the regular season. The Panthers head to Chicago to take on the UIC Flames on Thursday, March 6 before heading to Valparaiso, Indiana to take on the Beacons on Saturday, March 8. Tipoff in Chicago is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT with the game available to stream on ESPN+ or on the Panther Sports Radio Network.
UNI women's basketball action can be followed all season long on social media on Facebook (UNI Women's Basketball), X (@UNIwbb), and on Instagram (@uni_wbb). The 2024-25 schedule and roster, along with the latest Panther news and information can be found online at UNIpanthers.com.
