AUSTIN, Texas – After scheduling the game on short notice earlier in the week, the Drake University women's basketball team fell on the road to No. 22 Texas, 101-80, on Friday night at the Erwin Center.
Maddie Monahan with 28 points on 11-of-15 shooting and
Allie Wooldridge with 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting each set new career scoring highs behind career shooting performances. Wooldridge recorded a personal best with 11 rebounds as she earned the first double-double of her career, in addition to contributing a career-tying six assists.
The Longhorns (5-1) used runs of 10-0 and 11-0 to take control of the game early, but the Bulldogs (2-4) responded with a 10-2 first-quarter run of their own. Wooldridge and
Monica Burich keyed the burst with four points apiece.
Texas gained advantages in free throws (23-of-28, including making its first 17 attempts) and points off turnovers (33-12) as it expanded its lead.
Drake, which was playing its fifth road out of six games this young season, showed its fight by clawing back in the fourth quarter with a pair of 9-0 runs. Monahan slashed to the rim for layups and drained a career-high four 3-pointers on five attempts from distance. She extended her double-digit scoring streak to 10 games.
Kierra Collier, the Missouri Valley Conference's assist leader, displayed a steady floor game with 18 points and five assists.
The Bulldogs' post unit had its hands full in defending Texas' Charli Collier, who entered the night top-ten nationally in points (25.0) and rebounds (11.8), but Burich, Wooldridge,
Maggie Bair and
Mya Mertz limited the All-American to 17 points and a season-low four rebounds. Mertz tallied season-highs with four points and four rebounds off the bench.
Joanne Allen-Taylor led the Longhorns with 23 points and 10 rebounds. Kyra Lambert added 11 points, eight rebounds, six assists and seven steals, the most by a Drake opponent since 2016.
Drake returns to action Tuesday when it travels to Ames for a showdown with in-state rival Iowa State (RV/RV). Tipoff at Hilton Coliseum is slated for 6 p.m. and the game will be streamed on Big 12 NOW on ESPN+.
