The Basics
The Drake women's basketball program will finish their three-game homestand with a mid-week rivalry game against the Panthers of UNI on Wednesday, Jan. 11. The Bulldogs will then travel to Terre Haute, Ind. for another MVC match against Indiana State on Saturday, Jan. 14.
 
On the Doorstep of History
Redshirt senior Grace Berg has been a standout for her entire Drake career and continues to do so this season. The Indianola, Iowa native is scoring nearly 14 points per game on a .475 field goal percentage while grabbing almost six rebounds per contest.
 
With 12 points in the Bulldogs' last game, Berg nearly eclipsed the 1,000-career points mark. She now has 999 points as a Bulldog.
 
Un-Bair-lievable
The Bulldogs' rebounding prowess and offensive efficiency is piloted by star forward Maggie Bair. As Drake's leading scorer, Bair averages 16.2 points per game on an impressive .646 field goal percentage, the best in the MVC. She also leads the Bulldogs with 8.6 rebounds per contest.
 
Block by Block
Anna Miller continues to shine in her reserve role for the Bulldogs. Since the unfortunate injury to starting guard Megan Meyer, Miller's usage has increased. She is now averaging 7.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, and a league-high 2.3 blocks per game.
 
S.B. for Three
Sarah Beth Gueldner is now scoring in double figures with 11.3 ppg. She has also found her shooting stroke making 35% of her three-point attempts over the Bulldogs' three-game winning streak. Gueldner was also nominated for MVC Player of the Week after averaging 20.5 points, including a career-high 23, against Belmont and Murray State.
 
Pohlman's Revenge
Suzie Glazer Burt Head Coach Allison Pohlman is quite familiar with the UNI program. As a student-athlete at UNI, Pohlman (then Starr) was named to the MVC's All-Freshman, All-Defensive, and All-Conference teams while also earning Defensive Player of the Year. Pohlman also spent time on the Panthers' coaching staff after completing her playing career.
 
Serving it Up Hot
Drake's assist numbers have been spectacular this season. The Bulldogs now rank first in the Division I hoops with an average of 21.5 assists per game. The Bulldogs are led by Katie Dinnebier with 5.2 distributions per contest.
 
Cleaning Up
The Bulldogs are also one of the nation's most prolific rebounding teams. Drake ranks first in the country with 35.1 defensive rebounds per game and seventh in total rebounds with 46.3 per game. They also rank seventh in Division I with a 12.6 rebounding margin.
 
On a Hot Streak
After dropping their Missouri Valley Conference opener, the Bulldogs have found a rhythm in the month of January. Drake is undefeated at 3-0 in 2023 with three-straight wins. The Bulldogs have scored 80+ points and beaten their last three opponents by at least 13 points.
 
Team Stats Leaders
As a team, Drake ranks in the national top 10 of these statistical categories:

• Defensive rebounds/game - 1st – 35.1
• Assists/game – 1st – 21.5
• Rebounds/game – 7th – 46.3
• Blocks/game – 7th – 5.7
• Rebounding margin – 7th – 12.6
• Field goal pct. – 10th - 48.8
• Scoring offense – 10th – 84.0 

Scouting UNI
The Panthers have had an excellent 2022-23 season so far with records of 8-5 overall and 3-1 in conference play. UNI is coming off their lone league loss to Belmont on Sunday, Jan. 8 after rattling off a three-game winning streak.
 
The Panthers are led by a trio of double-digit scorers including Grace Boffeli (16.5 ppg), Maya McDermott (14.2 ppg), and Emerson Green (10.4 ppg). Boffeli has been one of the premier players in The Valley this year, scoring at a .588 percentage and snagging 8.4 rebounds per game. Boffeli's 26 points in a three-point home loss to Iowa State (11/16) is still the team's single-game high this season.
 
McDermott and Green have also been great distributors for the Panthers with at least two assists per contest.
 
UNI head coach Tanya Warren is in her 16th season at the helm of the Panther program. During her time in Cedar Falls, Warren has posted a record of 291-206.
 
Drake holds a significant advantage in the all-time series with UNI. The Bulldogs lead UNI 70-25 overall with wins in the last five meetings including a WNIT bout last season. The Panthers' last win over Drake came in March 2020.
 
Scouting Indiana State
Indiana State has had an up-and-down 2022-23 season, both in and out of conference play. The Sycamores are 7-6 overall and an even 2-2 in MVC action. They are riding a two-game winning streak after taking down UIC and Valparaiso in a pair of low-scoring affairs.
 
Del'Janae Williams leads Indiana State in scoring with 12.8 points per game. Both Chelsea Cain and Anna McKendree also post double digit points, each with just over 10 per game. McKendree also leads the Sycamores with 2.5 steals per game and 3.4 assists per game. On the glass, forward Mya Glanton leads the way with 5.1 rebounds per tilt.
 
Indiana State is led by second-year head coach Chad Killinger. In his two years leading the Sycamores, Killinger has posted a record of 18-26.
 
Drake also owns a 62-24 advantage in their all-time series with Indiana State. The Bulldogs have won 11 of the last 12 versus Indiana State with the Sycamores' last win coming in December of 2021 in Des Moines.
 
Up Next
Drake will return home for another weekend homestand in MVC play. The Bulldogs will host UIC on Thursday, Jan. 19 and Valparaiso on Saturday, Jan. 21.