Drake women stay atop Missouri Valley Conference standings with win over Murray State
Drake women’s basketball player Katie Dinnebier stood near the top of the key with a little less than three minutes remaining in Sunday’s showdown with Murray State and launched an important 3-pointer. As the shot swished through the net, the crowd covered in Bulldog blue let out a giant cheer.
Dinnebier's basket was the one they had been waiting for most of the day. It gave Drake some much-needed breathing room and helped the Bulldogs hold off a feisty Murray State squad during a 107-98 victory over the Racers at the Knapp Center on Sunday.
"We had momentum going into the rest of the fourth quarter," Dinnebier said. "It was nice to see it go in."
The back-and-forth battle, which included 10 ties and eight lead changes, ended with Drake winning its eighth straight game and improving to 14-4 on the season and 7-0 in Missouri Valley Conference play. It also assures Drake that it would stay atop the MVC standings by itself for another day.
The Bulldogs, who now have the longest winning streak in coach Allison Pohlman’s tenure, were constantly given fits by Murray State. The Racers, who led in the third quarter, were constantly within striking distance of the Bulldogs; the game was tied at the start of the fourth quarter.
A layup by Anna Miller gave Drake a 75-73 lead. But Murray State always kept it close. Drake’s lead got down to one with under five minutes to play. But Drake’s Grace Berg, who finished with 30 points, sank a pair of free throws to push the Bulldogs’ lead to three. Drake wasn’t able to truly feel comfortable until Dinnebier’s 3-pointer with 2 minutes and 49 seconds gave the Bulldogs a 95-89 lead.
"We had some great plays," Pohlman said. "And obviously great players make some great plays."
Dinnebier, who struggled in Drake's win over Belmont earlier in the week, quickly returned to form with the huge performance including the clutch play. Murray State was never able to make it a single possession game after Dinnebier's big basket. Miller followed with a pair of free throws to add to Drake’s lead.
"It's a dogfight the whole game,” Dinnebier said.
Dinnebier finished with 20 points, five rebounds and four assists before fouling out with two minutes remaining in the game. Berg shot 7-of-13 shooting from the field and 11-of-14 from the free throw line. Courtney Becker chipped in with 12 points while Taylor McAulay finished with 11 for Drake.
Miller finished with 23 points, eight rebounds and four assists for the Bulldogs who shot 51.6% (33-of-64) from the field. Drake needed it all against a Murray State squad that was coming off its first MVC loss of the season, a 95-75 loss at Northern Iowa.
"We expected them to come and put up a really good fight," Dinnebier said. "They're a good team."
What’s next? A week on the road for Drake
The Bulldogs have a big week of road games coming up. Drake plays at Bradley Thursday and then Illinois State Saturday. A road trip to Northern Iowa follows those two contests meaning Drake will be on the road for the next three games. Drake's next home game won't be until Feb. 8 against Bradley.
"It's huge," Dinnebier said. "It's so nice having momentum going into three road games."
Tommy Birch, the Register's sports enterprise and features reporter, has been working at the newspaper since 2008. He's the 2018, 2020 and 2023 Iowa Sportswriter of the Year. Reach him at tbirch@dmreg.com or 515-284-8468
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Drake women's basketball beats Murray State, stays undefeated in MVC
