DES MOINES, Iowa – Senior Becca Hittner equaled her career-high with 37 points, including making 18-of-18 free throws as the Drake University women's basketball team started Missouri Valley Conference play with a 104-87 in-state win over UNI Friday night in front of 3,712 fans at the Knapp Center.
 
Drake (9-4, 1-0 MVC), which scored a season high and the most points against an MVC opponent since 107 against Evansville in 2018, broke open the game with a scorching third-quarter when it scored a season-high 34 points. Sara Rhine and Kierra Collier were the other Bulldogs in double figures with 16 and 11 points, respectively.
 
Hittner's free throw total is the most by a player in the NCAA this season and is the second highest single game mark in program history behind legend Lori Bauman's 22 vs Northern Illinois in 1982. Collier dished out a career-high eight assists as the team tied a season-best with 26 on a season-tying 37 field goals. Rhine just missed a double-double with eight rebounds while Hittner had seven. Monica Burich and Brenni Rose just missed joining the trio in double figures with nine points each. Burich also pulled down seven rebounds.
 
UNI (8-3, 0-1 MVC), which trailed by as many as 35 points late in the third quarter, scored 34 points in the final quarter. Kam Finley led the Panthers with 18 points off the bench. UNI's bench scored 46 points.
 
UNI's Nicole Krueger hit a three on the game's first possession and the Panthers led by four after Karli Rucker hit another. But the Bulldogs quickly tied it and later after Burich's two put Drake up by four UNI called timeout. Drake never relinquish the lead again.
 
Collier hit a deep three just seconds before the first-quarter buzzer that made it 28-17 and later her assist to Rhine ended the first half as the Bulldogs led 54-39 at the break. UNI had cut the deficit to four with just under two minutes, but Hittner's three started a 14-3 closing run capped by Rhine's bucket. Seven Bulldogs, led by Hittner with 10 points, scored in the second quarter.
 
The teams traded baskets in the third quarter until Drake broke open the game with a 21-5 run that included a stretch where it scored on seven-consecutive possessions, the last on a layup by Rose. In the third, eight Bulldogs scored as Hittner led everyone with an impressive 16 points.
 
Drake out rebounded UNI, 41-31, 33 of which came on the defensive end of the ball. The Bulldogs dominated the paint with a 52-24 advantage, forced 18 turnovers that led to 26 points and shot a blistering 56.1 percent from the floor. The Bulldogs made a season-high 22 free throws and missed just two all game.
 
The win improved Drake to 6-0 at the Knapp Center this season and extended its home winning streak to 12, which is tied for sixth in the NCAA.
 
Following Friday's game, Drake has a challenging two-game road trip that begins at No. 19/21 Missouri State Friday, Jan. 10 at 7 p.m. The Bulldogs close their first MVC road trip at SIU on Jan. 12.