Drake beats Iowa State women's basketball at Knapp Center in Des Moines
After a 78-66 victory at Saint Louis on Thursday, Drake women’s basketball coach Allison Pohlman gathered her team in the locker room at Chaifetz Arena.
Pohlman asked her team, which had struggled at times during the road win, if there was anything they wanted to leave back with them or get off their chest.
Redshirt senior Taylor McAulay raised her hand.
“She says, ‘I can’t shoot,’” Pohlman recalled. “And I said, ‘Well, you leave it here.’”
McAulay left her shooting struggles behind. The Bulldogs guard tallied a career-high 27 points Sunday, knocking down several key shots late in the fourth quarter as Drake beat Iowa State 85-73 before an announced crowd of 4,203 fans at the Knapp Center.
“Phenomenal day for her,” Pohlman said.
McAulay was the key catalyst for Drake, which improved to 3-0 and secured its first win over Iowa State (1-1) since 2019. She shot 9-of-14 from the field including 6-of-9 from 3-point range. Two of those 3-pointers came during an 8-0 run by the Bulldogs in the fourth quarter, a stretch that essentially put the game out of reach for Iowa State. She celebrated by throwing her hands in the air, igniting the home crowd.
“It was just a real cool moment,” McAulay said.
There were plenty of memorable moments along the way for McAulay. who entered the game shooting just 20% from beyond the arc, including a 0-for-5 performance from deep against Saint Louis. She got on track during a huge second quarter, hitting two 3-pointers during a 19-0 run. A layup by Courtney Becker capped off the run to give Drake a 38-18 lead.
Iowa State, which mustered together just four points in the quarter, missed all nine shots from the field and had a big hill to climb.
“We didn’t come out ready to go,” said Iowa State guard Hannah Belanger. “We came out kind of flat. “
The Cyclones regained their footing in the third quarter with Belanger and Addy Brown hitting back-to-back 3-pointers during an 8-0 run. Iowa State outscored Drake 27-14 in the quarter and got back in the game. The Cyclones briefly took the lead in the fourth quarter on a layup by Isnelle Natabou.
But the lead didn’t last. Drake’s Katie Dinnebier, who finished with 20 points, made a jumper to tie the score at 67-67. Then McAulay stepped up with the two big baskets to give the Bulldogs the lead for good.
“I know we were kind of in a lull for a little bit there,” McAulay said.
Drake controlled the rest of the game, hitting five of its last six field goals. It may be a sign of things to come for McAulay and the Bulldogs.
“This is going to be the best year that she has,” Pohlman said.
That was a resume-building win for Drake
The Bulldogs brought back a wealth of talent from a team that won last season’s Missouri Valley Conference Tournament. Drake is expected to compete for another crown this season. There are also hopes of a run at the NCAA Tournament. A victory over Iowa State, a strong Power 5 program in the Big 12 Conference, certainly helps the resume.
“We’re not the only team that they’re going to beat in this building,” said Iowa State coach Bill Fennelly.
Iowa State’s second-half surge was impressive
Things could have gone much worse for Iowa State, especially after the ugly start to the game. But the Cyclones regrouped and had an opportunity to win the game after battling back from the double-digit deficit. It speaks volumes about Iowa State’s young team, which showed it could handle tough times.
“I feel that the way we played in the third quarter and the beginning of the fourth quarter is who we really are,” said Iowa State post player Audi Crooks. “But we need to come out from the jump like that every night.”
Tommy Birch, the Register's sports enterprise and features reporter, has been working at the newspaper since 2008. He's the 2018 and 2020 Iowa Sportswriter of the Year. Reach him at tbirch@dmreg.com or 515-284-8468
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa State women's basketball falls at Drake's Knapp Center on Sunday
