DES MOINES, Iowa – Minnesota frustrated the Drake women's basketball team throughout with its size and length and ended the Bulldogs' hopes of building a winning streak.
 
Drake could not keep the momentum going after a solid start and lost to Minnesota 68-43 at the Knapp Center on Sunday afternoon. The Gophers dominated in the rebounding and scoring around the basket, forced the Bulldogs into contested shots and held Drake (2-9) to four field goals in the second half.
 
No Drake player scored in double figures against a Minnesota team that ranks fifth in the country in scoring defense. It's the first time Drake has been held below 50 points since a 49-47 loss at Northern Iowa on Feb. 1, 2023. After a 19-point first quarter, the Bulldogs did not reach double figures in any quarter after that.
 
Maggie Taylor led Drake with nine points and six rebounds while battling the Gophers' taller, stronger front line. Grace Kuntson and Abbie Aalsma scored eight points each, Ava Hawthorne added seven and Brooklin Dailey finished with six while playing a season-high 27 1/2 minutes.
 
Drake had been hoping to build on its 97-77 victory at Indiana State in its Missouri Valley Conference opener, and with Knutson providing an immediate jolt off the bench, the Bulldogs built an early lead.
 
Knuston entered the game at the 6:47 mark with Drake trailing 6-5 and scored eight quick points, hitting a 3-pointer, sinking three free throws after being fouled on a 3-point shot and making a layup off a nice feed from Quinn Vice.
 
That spurt lifted the Bulldogs, who have been plagued by slow starts this season, into a 13-9 lead. After a Minnesota basket, Aalsma grabbed a pass from Dailey in traffic and dropped in a layup for a 15-11 lead with 3:46 left in the quarter. But the Bulldogs went the next three minutes without a basket and Minnesota capitalized with a 13-1 run for a 24-16 lead. Aalsma's three drew the Bulldogs to 24-19 at quarter's end.
 
A slow start to the second quarter ended any Drake hopes of slicing into the lead. The Bulldogs missed their first five shots of the quarter, and the Gophers expanded their lead to 36-19. Drake regained its footing, however, and two Hawthorne layups fueled an 8-2 run that cut the lead to 38-27 at halftime.
 
The Bulldogs would get no closer.
 
Minnesota started the third period with an 11-1 run to essentially put it out of reach. Drake was 0-for-8 in the quarter with seven turnovers before Aalsma knocked down a 3 after Taylor's offensive rebound with 35 seconds left in the quarter.
 
The Gophers then scored the first 12 points of the fourth quarter to open their biggest lead of the game, 65-36 with 7:13 left. Drake finally got on the board again with Taylor's driving basket with 6:55 to play, but the Bulldogs managed only two more baskets after that, Dailey getting inside for a layup and then swishing a 3 from the top of the key with 4:27 remaining.  A Minnesota free throw was the only point either team scored the rest of the way.
 
"A lot of missed opportunities today…it was frustrating," said Allison Pohlman, the Bulldogs' Suzie Glazer Burt Head Coach. "We were getting great shots, extra pass threes, but we just weren't able to step up and knock those down. We were able to convert some points in the paint, but just didn't do enough despite having plenty of opportunities. We are definitely still a work in progress and just have to start holding ourselves to a higher standard and settle into some consistency."
 
Minnesota (9-3), which had been giving up only 50.7 points a game, held Drake to season lows in field goals (13), field goal percentage (.289) and 3-point percentage (.192). The Gophers outrebounded the Bulldogs 40-32, outscored Drake 40-16 in the paint and scored 24 points off Drake's 21 turnovers.
 
The Bulldogs were efficient at times in their offense, logging assists on 12 of their 13 field goals. But Minnesota came up with 12 steals and never let the Bulldogs get comfortable after the first quarter. No opponent in Minnesota's nine victories has reached 50 points.
 
After a break for Christmas, Drake will return to MVC play at UIC on Monday, Dec. 29, tipping off at noon. The Bulldogs' next home game is Friday, Jan. 2 against Southern Illinois. That one tips at 6 p.m.
 
 
Notes

• Drake's loss dropped its record to 2-9 overall.
• The Bulldogs have lost two straight games vs. Minnesota.
• Drake now leads the all-time series with the Golden Gophers by a 10-8 margin.
• Drake opened the game with a 19-point first quarter. The Bulldogs proceeded to score just 24 points the rest of the way.
• Sunday marked the first time Drake has been held below 50 points since a 49-47 loss at Northern Iowa on Feb. 1, 2023.
• Minnesota outrebounded the Bulldogs, 40-32, and outscored Drake in the paint, 50-16.
• Drake's .192 field goal percentage marked its second lowest shooting rate of the season.
• Maggie Taylor led Drake with nine points and six rebounds.
• Grace Kuntson and Abbie Aalsma scored eight points each.
• Ava Hawthorne added seven points.
• Brooklin Dailey finished with six while playing a season-high 27 1/2 minutes.