To conclude their three-game road stretch, the University of Northern Iowa women’s basketball team traveled to Des Moines, Iowa, to take on in-state rival Drake University. Each matchup between the two programs has been historically close, often coming down to the final seconds of play. The 101st meeting between the Panthers and Bulldogs on Feb. 1 was no exception, as Drake narrowly defeated UNI 69-63 at the Knapp Center.
Following the tip-off, both teams saw hot starts from beyond the arc, each knocking down their first pair of attempted 3-pointers. Mya McDermott and Shateah Wetering each sank a triple for the Panthers within the opening minute, keeping UNI tied with the Bulldogs for the first couple of beats of action. Wetering would finish with eight points and go 2-4 from 3-point territory, complimenting her three blocks and two steals on the defensive end.
After starting 2-2 from the field, Northern Iowa missed their next seven shots and allowed Drake to go on an 8-0 run to take a 6-14 lead midway through the first quarter. Having not scored in over four and a half minutes, senior guard Kaybe Laube finally ended the drought by connecting on a layup to bring the Panthers within six points. The sharpshooter is hitting 48.8.% of her long-range tries on the season but shot just 1-5 from deep in the loss. Laube ended the contest with five points and three boards. Following her layup, the Bulldogs extended their lead to 14-21 entering the second quarter.
A flurry of McDermott baskets helped the Panthers claw closer into winning territory after the short break, giving her team an eight-point lift in just over three minutes of playing time. McDermott attempted to combat the increased foul line production Drake saw, as Bulldog Courtney Becker made two free throws to put her squad up 19-28. Drake shot 18 shots from the charity stripe and connected on 16, starkly contrasting the Panthers, who made just one free throw on two attempts.
With 6:14 left in the first half, Emerson Greene came off the bench to nail a triple off an assist from freshman Elise Jaeger. Greene’s bucket brought the Panthers within two possessions before eventually entering the locker room trailing 33-39 at halftime. Greene played 24 minutes in her sixth-man role, scoring five points and securing three rebounds. Jaeger added two points and three steals for UNI.
Both teams struggled offensively in the third quarter, scoring only 10 points in a period littered with missed shots and turnovers. However, this meant the Panthers were still within six points entering the final frame, only trailing 43-49.
Struggling to cut the Bulldogs’ lead to one possession, Northern Iowa head coach Tanya Warren again turned to McDermott to push the Panthers over the hump. With just 1:46 left and trailing by four, the star senior connected on a mid-range jumper to bring the Panthers within two points at 58-60. After Drake made two free throws, UNI forward Ryley Goebel put back a missed McDermott floater to keep the Panthers within a basket. Yet, two more Bulldog free throws stretched their lead out to four points before a timely McDermott 3-pointer cut the lead to 63-64. McDermott finished with a game-high 27 points on 10-22 from the field and 7-11 from long range. Goebel ended with seven points and a team-high four steals.
The Panthers’ one-point deficit would be the closest they got to victory as another series of Drake free throws rounded out the last seconds of play. Ultimately, UNI fell 63-69 and dropped to 10-11 overall and 5-5 in conference play.
The Northern Iowa women return to the McLeod Center on Friday, Feb.7, to host Bradley University in their second meeting of the season.
