DES MOINES, Iowa – The Drake women's basketball team got one step closer to securing a regular season Missouri Valley Conference championship with a dominant victory over UIC tonight. The Bulldogs never trailed and used a balanced attack to extinguish the Flames, 84-63.
 
Both teams traded a pair of baskets to start the game as Anna Miller scored the Bulldogs' first four points. After a couple successful trips for UIC, Drake (23-5, 16-1) found an early rhythm and scored seven unanswered to retake the lead. The Flames were able to keep their deficit within striking distance as Drake led 20-15 after the first quarter.
 
The Bulldogs started the second quarter with back-to-back scores from Taylor McAulay behind the three-point arc and Courtney Becker in the paint. Drake held on to an eight-point advantage until just over five minutes to play in the period when Katie Dinnebier picked up her third personal foul.
 
Down their star point guard, Drake extended their lead into double figures as Becker and McAulay continued the Bulldogs' offensive output. Drake took a 41-26 lead into the halftime break.
 
Becker got the Bulldogs started again in the second half with another score inside to get her into double figures. UIC (16-12, 9-8) did their best to keep pace with Drake as Sandra Frau-Garcia picked off an inbound pass and scored immediately. A Grace Berg and-one promptly halted any ideas of a UIC comeback in the third quarter.
 
The margin remained at 15 as Drake led 65-50 with 10 minutes remaining.
 
The fourth quarter saw much of the same as the UIC attack struggled to find any momentum and Drake was able to keep their foot on the gas. Anna Miller secured her 13th double-double of the year in the final period and was able to exit early after a well-deserved performance. She finished the night with 12 points and a game-high 10 rebounds.
 
Katie Dinnebier and Grace Berg also performed well for the Bulldogs as Dinnebier led all scorers with 18 and Berg added 17. The former also led Drake with six assists. Courtney Becker rounded out Drake's offensive leaders with 11 points.
 
The Bulldogs emptied their bench with about a minute and a half to play as they cruised to an 84-63 victory to sweep the regular season series with UIC.
 
"I was really impressed with our pace," Suzie Glazer Burt Head Coach Allison Pohlman said. "One of our focuses was to make sure we had actinon offensively and we kept that in mind defensively. We did a nice job with adjustments and playing on our feet."
 
Drake will conclude its home schedule this Saturday, Mar. 2 with a matchup against Valparaiso. The Bulldogs will celebrate Senior Day following their tilt with the Beacons with a chance at a regular season championship on the line. Drake and Valpo will tip off at 2 p.m.
 
NOTES

• Drake, earning its seventh straight win, improved to 23-5 overall while maintaining first place in the Missouri Valley Conference with a 14-1 mark.
• With the victory, the Bulldogs clinched a first-round bye in the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament from Mar. 14-17 in Moline, Ill.
• Drake, earning its ninth straight home win, improved to 14-2 in the Knapp Center this season.
• Drake shot a sizzling 57.9 percent from the floor (33-57), improving its record to 11-2 when shooting 50 percent or better. They have won their last seven games when achieving that feat.
• Drake opened the game with six makes in their first seven attempts.
• The Bulldogs made seven of eight shots, including the last six in a row, in the third quarter, extending their lead to 20 points.
• Drake collected nine steals and had six blocked shots.
• Drake outrebounded UIC 33-30, scoring nine second-chance points.
• Guard Katie Dinnebier led a balanced Drake attack with 18 points including 12 in the second half.
• Dinnebier dished out six assists while moving past Keisha Cox (1994-98, 481) into fifth place on the Drake career assists list.
• Anna Miller enjoyed her 13th double-double of the season and 20th in her career.
• Miller also had three blocked shots, marking the 16th time this season she collected three or more blocked shots in a game.
• Grace Berg added 17 points for Drake, including 11 in the second half, along with four assists and three steals.
• Courtney Becker added 11 points with five makes in seven shots.
• Taylor McAulay had three steals for her seventh game of the season with at least three takeaways.
• Drake, winning its second straight game against UIC, improved to 8-2 in the series against the Flames including a perfect 6-0 mark in Des Moines.