MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – Drake women's basketball (5-3) gave the Golden Gophers of Minnesota (7-1) all they could handle this afternoon. In their second tilt against a Big Ten opponent this season, the Bulldogs took Minnesota to double overtime where the Gophers escaped with a 94-88 result.
 
"We fought so hard but just came up shy in the points column," Suzie Glazer Burt head coach Allison Pohlman said. "There were some small moments that we needed to take care of the ball better, but I'm so proud of our team."
 
Taylor McAulay, one of four Bulldog players returning to their home state, scored first for Drake to tie the tally after a Gopher jumper on the other end. Grace Berg gave Drake its first lead after forcing a Minnesota turnover on the next possession.
 
Shannon Fornshell, another native Minnesotan, got in the scoresheet with a mid-range jumper to even the score again in a back-and-forth first quarter. Courtney Becker hit Bulldogs' first three-pointer to square things up again at 13-all before Drake inched in front on a dish from Katie Dinnebier to Anna Miller. The score remained tied after the first 10 minutes, 19-19.
 
The Bulldogs crept out ahead further to start the second, leading 24-19 less than two minutes into the period. Drake controlled the pace of the second quarter, eventually taking an eight-point lead, their largest of the game up to that point, on a transition triple by Berg.
 
Mara Braun ended a 5-0 Bulldog run with a trey of her own out of the under-five media timeout. Drake held a narrow lead as time ticked under a minute in the half. Miller then hauled in one of her game-leading 13 rebounds with three seconds on the clock. She dished to Dinnebier who sprinted down and drew a shooting foul just across the center-court line. Dinnebier sunk all three freebies to take a 37-31 lead into halftime.
 
The Gophers got going early in the second half, ripping of five-straight while forcing a Drake miss and giveaway. Another successful defensive possession for Minnesota forced a shot clock violation and a Drake timeout as the Bulldogs led 39-38.
 
Moments later, a reverse layup from Grace Grocholski gave the Golden Gophers their first lead of the second half. Momentum stayed with Minnesota as McAulay picked up her third foul midway through the quarter.
 
Miller got Drake back on the board with a traditional three-point play to retake the lead. Berg then drilled a deep three to grab a three-point lead. Dinnebier took her turn and converted an and-one before burying a trey to give Drake a 55-50 lead with under two minutes left in the quarter. The Bulldogs' point guard finished of her hot streak to end the third with a three pointer from the wing to give the Dogs a 61-52 advantage with 10 minutes to play.
 
Dinnebier continued her pesky play to kick off the fourth, forcing another Gopher turnover as Bulldogs survived a scoring drought of nearly two minutes. Minnesota was able to get back within four during that stretch. Ashley Iiams answered with a pure jumper from range before Miller drew her second charge of the afternoon as the Bulldogs led 70-63 at the final media timeout.
 
The non-conference contest came down to the wire as Drake led by just three with a minute to play. Grace Grocholski swished a corner three before a strip and score by Janay Sanders knotted things up at 74. The Bulldogs failed to inbound cleanly after a held ball as time expired and forced overtime.
 
The Gophers scored first basket of extra stanza on a Mara Braun pull up jumper. Berg answered with a runner on Drake's end of the floor, but Braun delivered again for Minnesota with a physical finish plus a foul to put the Gophers up by five.
 
Anna Miller's relentless effort on the offensive glass paid off as the ball found its way into Dinnebier's hands, and she stepped up with another three to cut the deficit to just two. Becker then got Bulldogs within one with a free throw, but another Braun bucket gave Minnesota a three-point lead. The Bulldogs took a timeout and Coach Pohlman drew up an effective inbound play that got a wide open three-point look for Anna Miller. She hit nothing but net to even the score again.
 
Minnesota couldn't get their buzzer-beating attempt to drop as time expired again and the game advanced to a second overtime.
 
Drake drew first blood in the second O.T. as Dinnebier scooped in a reverse layup. Braun put the Gophers back on top with a quick triple at the opposite end and promptly canned a pair of free throws to extend the hosts' lead to four. The Bulldogs could not keep up with Minnesota's late charge and lost their rhythm down the stretch as the Gophers pulled away for the 94-88 win in double overtime.
 
Katie Dinnebier poured in a career-high 30 points to go along with five assists and three steals. In the game, she was bested only by Minnesota's Braun, who had 33.
 
The rest of Drake's starting five also logged double figures including Anna Miller with 17, Grace Berg with 12, Taylor McAulay with 11, and Courtney Becker with 10. Miller and Becker each posted double-doubles with 13 rebounds and 10 rebounds, respectively.
 
"I think we did everything that we could have done from a tactical standpoint," Pohlman explained after the game. "We had so many players step up and make big plays. We totally had it…this team gave everything that they have. We had a nice sea of blue in the stands supporting us, and our four kids from Minnesota made their home state proud. We will take what we need out of this and look forward to Friday."
 
Drake will return home for their first of two-straight matchups in Des Moines. The Bulldogs are set to host North Dakota State on Friday, Dec. 8 at 11 a.m. for their annual Kids' Game.
 
 
NOTES

• Drake fell to 5-3 overall and 1-2 on the road this season.
• The Bulldogs are now 1-2 against power conference opponents and 0-2 against Big Ten competition this year.
• Drake still leads the all-time series with Minnesota by a 10-7 margin. The Gopher win snapped a two-game skid in the series.
• Drake is 0-3 in their last three overtime contests. Their last OT victory came in the opening round of the 2022 WNIT in an 83-78 win at Missouri.
• Katie Dinnebier's 30 points were a career high.
• It was the first 30-point game for a Bulldog Becca Hittner scored 31 vs. Southern Illinois in Feb. 2020.
• In addition to Dinnebier, the rest of Drake's starting five also scored double figures including Anna Miller (17), Grace Berg (12), Taylor McAulay (11), and Courtney Becker (10).
• Miller completed her third double-double of the year with 13 rebounds, a game-high.
• Becker also posted a double-double with 10 rebounds.
• Berg led all players with six assists.
• McAulay snared a team-high four assists.