DES MOINES, Iowa – A Drake women's basketball season full of big moments ended with a tough loss in the first round of the WBIT. Marquette's Jaidynn Mason hit a mid-range jumper with 50 seconds left to give her team the lead and the Golden Eagles held on from there to beat Drake 74-69 at the Knapp Center on Thursday afternoon.
 
The loss ended the careers of seniors Katie Dinnebier, Anna Miller, Courtney Becker and Ashley Iiams. The Bulldogs went 93-42 with those four playing, won two Missouri Valley Conference regular-season and tournament championships, and played in the NCAA tournament twice.
 
Dinnebier led the Bulldogs (22-12) with 25 points in her final game, including two free throws that produced the game's final tie at 69 with 1:09 remaining. Junior Abbie Aalsma added 16 points, shooting 5-for-9 with four 3-pointers, and Miller and Becker each scored 11.
 
Miller also grabbed 11 rebounds for her 11th double-double of the season and blocked six shots to match her career high. Becker had six rebounds and three blocks as the Bulldogs outrebounded their taller opponent 39-33. They collected 15 offensive rebounds but converted them into only nine points.
 
Drake's 22 turnovers also hurt. Marquette had a 16-8 edge in points off turnovers, just enough to win it. The Bulldogs' final turnover was the most damaging, an errant inbounds pass with 6.9 seconds left when the Bulldogs had a chance to tie it or hit a 3-pointer to win it.
 
Skylar Forbes and former Pleasant Valley High School star Halle Vice led Marquette (21-10) with 18 points each. Mason scored 14 on 7-of-9 shooting, including 14 in the second half. Vice's younger sister, Quinn, will play for the Bulldogs next season.
 
The Golden Eagles, who finished fourth in the Big East Conference, advance to a second-round game Sunday against the winner of Thursday night's game between No. 1 seed James Madison and Davidson.
 
Down 20-16 after one quarter, Drake opened the second quarter with an 18-4 run that included three 3-pointers and a layup from Aalsma. The Bulldogs made five of six shots during one stretch and opened a 34-24 lead. The two teams traded scores the rest of the half, leaving the Bulldogs ahead 40-30 at the break.
 
Marquette found its offensive footing in the third quarter, forced the Bulldogs into more difficult shots, and scrambled back into it. A 10-2 run pulled the Golden Eagles into a 51-50 lead, which Dinnebier quickly erased by converting a three-point play off a layup.
 
Dinnebier's 3-pointer stretched the lead to 56-53 and the Bulldogs were up 56-55 heading into the final quarter, holding on to the lead despite Marquette's 62.5 percent shooting in the third quarter.
 
Drake led for the last time at 63-60 when Aalsma sank two free throws with 5:15 left. Marquette tied it on Bridget Utberg's trey from the right corner – her only points of the game – and pulled ahead 69-64 when Mason slipped under the basket for a reverse layup with 2:20 remaining.
 
Back came the Bulldogs again, tying it at 69 on Aalsma's triple from the right corner with 1:09 to play. Mason answered with her go-ahead jumper and the Bulldogs got a chance when they forced a shot clock violation with 6.9 seconds left and Marquette leading 71-69.
 
But the inbounds pass in the Bulldogs' frontcourt went awry and the Golden Eagles finished if off with three free throws.
 
Dinnebier, a two-time MVC Player of the Year, finished her spectacular career with 2,088 points, which is seventh on Drake's career scoring list. Her three 3-pointers Thursday pulled her into a tie with Kiersten Miller for No. 5 on the school's career list with 235 and her five assists raised her career total to 780, which is No. 2 in Drake history.
 
Miller finishes her career with 1,531 points, which is 22nd on the school's career charts, and 1,023 rebounds, which is No. 5. She is Drake's career leader in blocks with 284.
 
Becker leaves having played more games than anyone in Drake history. Thursday was contest No. 164. If a couple of more shots had fallen, she would have played in at least one more.
 
Drake shot just 33 percent in the second half and 37.9 percent for the game, the 17^th time in 21 games Marquette has held an opponent below 45 percent. Marquette went just 4-for-21 from deep but shot 52 percent (23-for-44) inside the arc.

"Thank you to Bulldog nation for showing up and showing out today," Allison Pohlman, Drake's Suzie Glazer Burt Head Coach, said after the game. "To host postseason basketball in front of nearly 2,000 fans is special. Credit to Marquette and its game plan, especially in the second half. There was a lack of adjustments on our part and that hurt us. I'd be remiss to not mention and celebrate our senior class of Katie Dinnebier, Anna Miller, Courtney Becker, and Ashley Iiams...proud of the legacy of those four exceptional young women. We're always proud to be Bulldogs."
 
 
NOTES

• Drake finishes their 2024-25 season at 22-12 overall with a 15-5 record in Missouri Valley Conference play.
• The Bulldogs are now 1-2 in postseason play this year and 0-1 all-time in the WBIT.
• The Bulldogs fell to 10-5 at home and 4-6 in games decided by five points or less.
• Drake shot just 37.9 percent (22-58) from the field. The Dogs went 4-9 when shooting under 45 percent this season.
• Drake outrebounded Marquette 39-33. The Bulldogs finished the year 22-8 when outrebounding their opponent.
• Marquette's reserves outscored Drake's bench 9-6. The Golden Eagles also outscored Drake in fast break opportunities (17-6), after turnovers (16-8), and in the paint (38-24).
• The two teams tied with nine second chance points apiece.
• One of Drake's all-time best guards, Katie Dinnebier posted 25 points six rebounds, five assists, and three steals in her final game as a Bulldog.
• Dinnebier scored 20-plus points in 10 of her last 11 games and hit that mark 18 times this season.
• Abbie Aalsma scored 16 points with four made threes in six tries from range.
• Senior forwards Anna Miller and Courtney Becker also played their final games as Bulldogs and each scored 11 points.
• Miller added 11 rebounds for her 11th double-double of the year while Becker collected six boards.
• Miller matched her career high with six blocks.
• Drake final senior, Ashley Iiams, started the game for Drake. It was Iiams' first career start.
• Drake is now 2-3 all-time against Marquette with two straight losses at home.