The top four teams met in yesterday’s MVC Tournament semifinal matches: the Drake Bulldogs versus the UNI Panthers then what I’m going to call Battle Ursus – the Missouri State Lady Bears versus the Belmont Bruins. The No. 1 team against the No. 4 team, and the No. 2 and No. 3.
Drake and UNI showed up to play in this MVC Tournament game
From the outset, it was apparent that both Drake and UNI came to play. The first quarter opened with a pair of threes, the first from Taylor McAulay for Drake and the second from Kayba Laube for UNI. Perhaps some early game nerves caused UNI to commit five of their 11 turnovers in the first quarter, which allowed Drake to jump out to an early 26-17 lead by quarter’s end, although the trio of Katie Dinnebier, Anna Miller, and Grace Berg were held scoreless in the quarter.
Drake committed three of their eventual 14 turnovers in the quarter. UNI kept it close in the second quarter and did not turn the ball over. Maya McDermott scored 13 of her game-leading 33 points for UNI in the quarter, with Drake’s trio of Dinnebier, Berg, and Miller each finally scoring, Miller twice and Berg and Dinnebier once each. UNI managed to trim three points off of Drake’s lead and went into the half trailing 43-37.
In the third quarter, UNI immediately cut the lead to four on a jumper by Grace Boffeli and a three by Laube with a Berg trey in between. From there, the Panthers never got closer than four points and committed only one turnover to Drake’s two. Still, cold shooting from Drake’s big three, and McDermott added only four points. Drake tacked on another three points and went into the fourth quarter with a tenuous lead of 66-57.
The game needed extra time to get a winner
Drake was held scoreless in the first two minutes of the fourth, and UNI started to chip away at the deficit. McDermott, on two jumpers, a free throw, and a trey, brought the game to within two points when Drake took a time-out at 6:54. When play resumed, a cold streak set in for both teams until Laube hit a three, giving UNI a 70-69 lead. Dinnebier answered with a three, followed immediately by McDermott with yet another three. Another cold streak held the game at 73-72 until Dinnebier hit another three.
Grace Boffeli hit a pair of free throws, and the quarter ended 75-75, heading to overtime. UNI had outscored Drake 17-9 in the fourth, while Drake committed five turnovers. Only Dinnebier and McAulay scored for Drake, with two 3s for Dinnebier and one for McAulay. At this point, it really was anyone’s game. Neither team was shooting particularly well to this point, and it was going to come down to who had a little more gas in the tank.
Survived. 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗱.#BeBlue | #DSMHometownTeam pic.twitter.com/sUYprZVo0H
— Drake Women's Hoops (@DrakeWBB) March 16, 2024
Drake scored nine unanswered points to start overtime until Taryn Wharton made one of two free throws for UNI. Grace Boffeli followed with a pair from the stripe, which Dinnebier answered with a pair of her own. Miller scored the final six points for Drake and McDermott added the last five for UNI, and overtime ended with Drake winning 92-83.
Takeaways from the Drake – UNI MVC Tournament OT game
Both teams had their highs and lows, but to UNI’s credit, they did not simply roll over, and while there are no moral victories, this was a game that had positives that UNI can take with them into next season. Drake, however, isn’t finished, and their final matchup will be anything but a walk in the park. McDermott led all scorers with 33 points, followed by Boffeli with 16 points and 13 boards, and Laube with 14 points.
McAulay led the Bulldogs with 22 points, Berg added 17 points and 11 boards, Miller scored 15 points with 17 boards, and Dinnebier 15 points and 10 assists.
Missouri State faced Belmont in the Battle Ursus matchup
Battle Ursus pitted the Missouri State Lady Bears against the Belmont Bruins, two denizens of the forest ready to duke it out. Similar records with a very slight edge to Belmont proved to be a non-factor in the game. Missouri State outshot and out-rebounded Belmont. The Bruins, however, committed 17 turnovers to Missouri State’s 8 with the Lady Bears scoring 16 points off of those turnovers to Belmont’s 4 points. Missouri State shot 36.7% going 22-60 while Belmont shot 33.3% going 16-48.
Not exactly a barn burner for either team. In a low-scoring first quarter, Belmont held the lead but allowed Missouri State to creep back in and eventually tie the score on a Lacy Stokes layup with 22 seconds left in the quarter. The second quarter was more of the same, back and forth, but with two seconds left, it was Stokes again, and her jumper put the Lady Bears up by two at the half. Starting the third quarter, Missouri State never looked back, holding Belmont to only ten points while scoring 17 of their own.
𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐞.#MSULadyBears pic.twitter.com/iYAirkbdrU
— Missouri State Lady Bears (@MSULadyBears) March 16, 2024
Belmont was not able to capitalize on some cold shooting by Missouri State with a drought of their own, and the quarter ended with the Lady Bears up 46-37. In the fourth quarter, Belmont got as close as seven, but that was it. Missouri State increased their lead to 12 on a Jade Masogayo layup, and while Belmont got to within eight points on a Tuti Jones trey at 3:03, that would be the last bucket for Belmont.
Missouri State got all their remaining points on free throws and won the game 63-48. Not really a great showing for either team. It just wasn’t Belmont’s day.
Drake and Missouri State face off for the MVC Tournament title
Missouri State now faces Drake for the MVC Tournament title and a chance to punch their ticket to the Big Dance. Perhaps this is that point where you throw stats out the window and play your best basketball, do what got you to where you are, knowing full well that the other team is going to do the same. Missouri State played Drake only once during the season, losing 76-65 on Drake’s court.
Will this be a revenge game? Will Drake keep that in mind to bolster their offense and defense? Does it even matter? We’ll find out today at 1:00 PM Central Time on ESPN2.
And that, my friends, as they say, is that.’ — Martin Ruben.
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