DES MOINES, Iowa – The Drake University women's basketball team lost to No. 16/15 Iowa, 91-82, Friday night in front of a season-high 6,107 at the Knapp Center in the team's final non-conference game.
 
Drake (8-4) was led by Becca Hittner (Urbandale, Iowa) who finished with a career-high 32 points and tied the team-high with five rebounds.
 
Also, with five rebounds was Brenni Rose (Shawnee, Kan.), who added a team-best four assists, and Sammie Bachrodt (Wichita, Kan.), who scored 13 points and nabbed a pair of steals. Bachrodt is now only 11 points from 1,000 in her career. Maddy Dean (Jordan, Minn.) added 15 points.
 
Sara Rhine (Eldon, Mo.) scored 14 points and added four rebounds as Rhine has hit double-digit points in every game this season. Following the game, Hittner and Rhine were both recognized for reaching the 1,000-career point mark.
 
Iowa (9-2) were led by standout Megan Gustafson, whose 44 points and 14 rebounds were both game-highs. The Hawkeyes only played seven players in the game as their starting five scored all 91 points.
 
The Hawkeyes jumped out to an early 26-10 lead, helped by making their first nine shots. Hittner did her best to keep the Bulldogs in the game, scoring Drake's first 11 points.
 
With 3:11 on the clock, Drake kicked it into gear with a 13-0 scoring run to cut the Iowa lead to three points at 26-23 by the end of the quarter. Hittner's 6-of-7 shooting performance was huge for Drake to get back in the game after Iowa's hot start.
 
The Bulldogs did a good job to frustrate Gustafson in the second quarter, denying her the ball and making things difficult in the paint. The All-American made just one field goal on six attempts in the quarter.
 
Hittner matched her season-high in scoring with five minutes left in the second quarter. Her 23 first-half points were crucial, as just two other Bulldogs were in the scoring column at the second quarter media timeout.
 
At halftime, Drake led 45-43 after trailing by as much as 16 early. Hittner led all scorers with 23 points on 9-of-12 shooting, including 4-of-7 from three-point range. As a team, the Bulldogs hit five of their last eleven attempts from deep to outpace Iowa's attack.

 
At the third quarter media timeout, Iowa led 57-55. The two teams traded baskets, and Dean tied the game at 61-all on her third three of the game. Iowa looked like they were going to run away with the lead, but Bachrodt hit four free throws in the final minute to make it a one-point (68-67) game going into the fourth.
 
Later in the fourth, Bachrodt hit a three-pointer to tie the game at 70-70 with 8:20 left. However, Drake's three inside players, Rhine, Allie Wooldridge (Center Point, Iowa) and Monica Burich (Roseville, Minn.), had foul trouble and were forced to play cautiously in the final quarter. This allowed Gustafson to play more aggressively down low as she scored 19 points in the quarter, and helped Iowa lead by as many as 14 late.
 
Iowa also got into foul trouble late, but it was too late for the Bulldogs to take advantage. Hittner scored the team's final seven points, but Iowa's lead was too large to overcome as it pulled out the in-state win.
 
Following Friday's final non-conference game, the Bulldogs kick off Missouri Valley Conference play Jan. 4 in Peoria, Ill. with a 7 p.m. tip-off against the Bradley Braves.