ROCKFORD, Ill. – The Drake University women's basketball team dropped its 2021 WNIT opener to Milwaukee, 84-46, Friday night in Rockford, Ill.
 
Milwaukee (20-7), which won its first game ever over Drake (16-12) in the ninth game in the all-time series, led from start to finish to advance to one of Saturday's championship semifinals against Saint Louis.
 
Drake will play DePaul in one of the consolation semifinals Saturday that will tip at 2 p.m. The Bulldogs and Blue Demons are set to meet for just the third time in the first meeting since 1981.
 
Milwaukee opened game on a 7-0 run before Courtney Becker scored the Bulldogs' first points after coming in from the bench. Later, Maddie Monahan's layup cut the deficit to 7-4. Sarah Beth Gueldner then buried a three-pointer out of the first media timeout to pull Drake within 9-7. It would be as close as the Bulldogs would get as the Panthers closed the quarter on a 11-0 run. Drake went scoreless the final 4:34 in the opening quarter and trailed 20-7 after one.
 
Drake's shooting struggles carried over to the second quarter as it made just 3-of-15 from the floor and 1-of-9 from three. The Bulldogs' shooting numbers in the second were identical to the first. Berg, Collier and Gueldner each scored three points to pace Drake.
 
Collier and Maggie Bair led Drake with nine points each. The Bulldogs shot a season-low 24.6 percent (15-of-61) from the floor, 7.7 percent from three (2-of-26) and 50 percent (14-of-28) from the free throw line.
 
Brandi Bisping scored a game-high 19 point for Milwaukee. Megan Walstad added 12 points.
 
Drake welcomed back Collier, Taylor McAulay and Monahan, who each missed the team's last game against Bradley Sunday in the MVC Championship due to Covid-19 protocols. Also back was Hannah Fuller, who returned to the court after being out due to injury since the second game of the regular season.
 
Associate head coach Allison Pohlman served as acting head coach Friday as head coach Jennie Baranczyk missed her second-straight game due to Covid-19 protocols.
 
Drake is making its 12^th all-time appearance in the WNIT and now owns a 14-14 all-time record in 28 Postseason WNIT games.
 
Rockford Regional (All times Central)
Round 1 - Friday, March 19
Game 1: UNI 70 Dayton 56
Game 2: Creighton 72 Bowling Green 65
Game 3: Saint Louis 74 DePaul 72
Game 4: Milwaukee 84 Drake 46
 
Round 2 - Saturday, March 20
Consolation: Dayton vs. Bowling Green, 11 a.m.
Consolation: DePaul vs. Drake, 2 p.m.
Championship Semifinal: UNI vs. Creighton, 5 p.m.
Championship Semifinal: Saint Louis vs. Milwaukee, 8 p.m.
 
Round 3 - Monday, March 22
Consolation Final: 4 p.m.
Championship Final: 7 p.m.