ROCKFORD, Ill. – The Drake University women's basketball team is set to play in the
2021 Postseason WNIT. Drake (16-11), which is making its first WNIT appearance since 2016, will play Milwaukee (19-7) Friday at 8 p.m. in the Rockford, Ill. Regional at the UW Health Sports Factory. Tickets will not be available to purchase for the general public. All games will be available via video streaming through FloHoops. Friday's game will be on radio on 1350 ESPN Des Moines.
Drake enters the WNIT coming off a heartbreaking 78-70 loss to Bradley in the Missouri Valley Conference Championship game. Four Bulldog players and three coaches, including head coach Jennie Baranczyk, missed the title game due to COVID-19 protocols. Eight Bulldogs suited up and assistant coach
Markisha Wright filled in as acting head coach. Baranczyk will remain out in Rockford due to her positive Covid test.
Drake led Bradley early in the fourth quarter but the Braves countered with a deciding 14-2 run as the Bulldogs ran out of gas ending an emotionally exhausting weekend. Drake started the tournament with a victory over Valpo in the quarterfinals and advanced to the title game after top seed Missouri State withdrew from the tournament and the bracket was reshuffled.
Grace Berg led all scorers with 23 points and posted a season-high 10 rebounds for her first career double-double.
Maggie Bair contributed 14 points on 6-of-7 shooting and matched Berg with a game-high 10 rebounds. It marks the fifth-straight game Bair snared double-digit rebounds and the fourth time in five outings she has posted a double-double. Starters
Kierra Collier and
Maddie Monahan and reserve
Taylor McAulay missed the game due to Covid protocols.
The Bulldogs and the Panthers last met Nov. 10, 2017 in the Preseason WNIT. Drake won 77-73 at the Knapp Center and owns an 8-0 record all-time in the series.
Drake is making its 12th all-time appearance in the WNIT, including making a run to the WNIT final four in 1999. The Bulldogs own a 14-13 all-time record in 27 Postseason WNIT games.
Milwaukee, which claimed the Horizon League regular season title, is making its third WNIT appearance and first since 2017-18. The Panthers were the two seed in their conference tournament and were upset by IUPUI, 56-46, in the semifinals. Megan Walstad is Milwaukee's top scorer and rebounder at 12.2 ppg and 8.8 rpg.
Drake will meet Saint Louis (12-4) or DePaul (14-8) on Saturday depending on a win or a loss Friday night in its game. With a win, the Bulldogs will play at 8 p.m. on Saturday. With a loss, they will play at 2 p.m. Saturday. The Billikens and Blue Demons play at 6 p.m. Friday.
