As college basketball enters the month of madness, every game leading up to the Missouri Valley Conference tournament becomes increasingly essential for seeding and matchup purposes. On Saturday, March 1, the Northern Iowa women’s basketball team hosted in-state rival Drake in a contest that helped decide their conference tournament fates. UNI is ranked sixth in the MVC, and the Bulldogs are second, just one game behind conference leader Missouri State. Although a win for the Panthers wouldn’t move them up in the standings, it provides Tanya Warren and her team a cushion over seventh-ranked UIC. Per usual, the rivalry was a tight, hard-fought matchup between the two schools. Yet, Drake ultimately prevailed 80-79, sweeping the season series over Northern Iowa and keeping the Panthers and Bulldogs at their respective MVC seeds.
From the jump, UNI struggled to contain Drake star Katie Dinnebier, who scored all the Bulldogs’ first eight points before ending the afternoon with a staggering 37. Maya McDermott connected on her first 3-point try of the day to halt Dinnebier’s early run, but remained scoreless the rest of the first quarter.
Instead, Ryley Goebel carried most of the Panthers’ offensive load in the opening 10 minutes. The junior forward scored nine points in the period as UNI trailed 25-18 entering the second quarter. Goebel continued her offensive potency throughout the game, tallying 15 points by the final buzzer. However, her defensive abilities impacted the game the most for the Panthers. Goebel recorded a tremendous six steals and five blocks throughout the contest while also securing seven rebounds.
The second quarter began with Northern Iowa attempting to cut the Drake’s lead to single digits. Emerson Green knocked down two mid-range jumpers and a long-range trey before a Taryn Wharton floater cut the lead to 29-31. Green finished with 15 points and grabbed two rebounds, while Wharton ended with six points and three assists off the bench.
A game-wide scoring drought from the 4:59 to 2:53 mark meant the contest was still 29-33 in favor of the Bulldgos nearing the end of the first half. A pair of Goebel and McDermott layups after a couple of Drake buckets made for a 33-66, one-possession game with just two minutes remaining. Elise Jaeger scored the final basket of the quarter for UNI, connecting on a triple to leave the Panthers trailing 36-43 entering halftime. The freshman went perfect from the field the rest of the day, scoring seven points and adding two steals in her sixth-man role.
An onslaught of 3-pointers by the Bulldogs saw Northern Iowa fall to their first double-digit deficit, trailing 40-52 midway through the third quarter. Another scoring drought kept the contest at a 12-point’s reach away for the Panthers until Kaylee Corbin’s lone basket of the day brought UNI to within 10 with 2:46 left in the period. The two teams traded scores before the Panthers entered the fourth quarter down 50-61.
After struggling to find her rhythm throughout the contest, McDermott discovered her shooting touch when Northern Iowa needed her most. She delivered a flurry of floaters, mid-range jump shots, and 3-pointers to help the Panthers slowly close the gap on the Bulldogs. Entering the final 10 seconds of play, UNI trailed 76-80, looking for a crucial stop and quick bucket. A Drake turnover with five seconds left gave the Panthers possession on their side of half-court. Needing a miracle shot, McDermott heaved a fadeaway triple that banked off the glass before dropping through the rim. Nonetheless, McDermott did not draw a foul on the play, meaning the Bulldogs narrowly escaped with a 79-80 victory at the McLeod Center.
The Northern Iowa women’s basketball team will play next at UIC on Friday, March 6. The matchup will decide who receives the sixth seed in the MVC tournament.
